Staff crunch cripples Civil Hospital

Anupam Bhagria
and Charanjit Singh Teja
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, December 11

About two weeks ago six newborn babies died at Mother Child Hospital on the premises of Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital. Following the incident, tall claims were made by health authorities for providing more staff to the hospital to cater to the inflow of patients. But as far as nurses are concerned, things remain unchanged.

During a visit to the Mother and Child Hospital it was observed that 36 patients were being catered by a single nurse in the labour room. However, in the emergency ward of Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital there was a single nurse to cater to 24 patients.

Preferring anonymity a staff nurse said, “We are overloaded with work. Each one of us has been sharing the burden of more than six nurses. In the private hospitals the ratio of nurses and patients is 1:4. However, in our hospital it’s six times more.”

Feeling tired of the hectic schedule another nurse said, “The staff shortage has disturbed even our personal life. We have no time to spend with our families be it any day or festival.” However, the newly constructed buildings on the hospital premises were found neat and clean. Rajvir Singh, an attendant of a delivery patient, said, “We are not facing any problem here.” While a migrant Kailash, whose wife was also there, said, “Our patient is being attended to properly.”

Jan Aushadhi Centre lacks generic medicines
Attendants of the patients were satisfied with facilities at the Mother and Child Hospital. However at Jan Aushadhi Centre, some of the patients said a few generic medicines were not available. Attendant of a patient who was under treatment here said, “I got a few medicines here while the remaining I had to buy from outside.” Shiv Ram Saroy, founder of the Ann Jal Sewa Trust- an NGO which provides food to the poor and needy patients at the hospital, said, “Many people complain to us that they do not get generic medicines here. So, ameeting was held with higher authorities today and we have requested them to look into the matter at the earliest.”

Freezers defunct
Freezers owned by the hospital lying in the mortuary of the Civil Hospital (owned by the hospital) are still non-functional. Shiv Ram Saroy, who is a member of Rogi Kalyan Samiti, said, “The issue was raised during the meeting of the samiti held recently. We have asked the hospital authorities to get these repaired at the earliest.”

New testing machinesnon-functional
The testing machine known as “semi-auto analyser” is also lying non-functional. Saroy said, “Many patients have to approach the private laboratories for getting the tests done. We have also requested the authorities to install the new machines here so that patients may not suffer.”

Poor show by drugde-addiction centre
A few months ago the state government made a lot of hue and cry for helping the drug addicts and also started a fortnight-long campaign against drug de-addiction. Ironically, there was only one indoor patient in the de-addiction centre at the Lord Mahavira Civil Hospital. About this Dr RK Karkara, Senior Medical Officer of the hospital, said, “The de-addiction centre of the District Red Cross is also very near to the Civil Hospital where free of cost treatment is provided. However, we charge Rs 200 per day from each addict who is under treatment here. Perhaps this is the reason that we have only one de-addict in the centre. Moreover, two doctors are on leave.”

Choked sewerage, dirty water greets visitors
The Health Department which keeps telling residents to keep their premises neat and clean itself has chocked sewerage and that too at the very entrance of the hospital. The cycle stand near the old building of the hospital was choked with sewerage. SMO Dr Karkara said, “We got it cleaned sometime ago. I will look into the matter and get it cleaned soon.”

Shortage of Class IV employees
People prefer visiting a neat and clean hospital but the cleanliness staff here is already too short. Requesting anonymity a class IV employee said, “We are overworked and moreover, people who visit here are also not cooperative.”