Ailing Civil Hospital struggles against dengue

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 5

Ludhiana’s Civil Hospital caters to the entire district and it witnesses a heavy arrival of patients daily. With dengue and chikungunya spreading its tentacles in the state, the hospital is full to the brim. Be it OPDs or wards, all remain full to their capacity. The hospital receives around 40 suspected cases of dengue and chikungunya apart from other patients.

Baldev Singh, who had come from the nearby village of Boparai, said he had been waiting for his turn to see a doctor for the past four hours. “There is a huge rush and only God knows when my turn will come,” he said.

Another patient, who had come to see an eye specialist, said: “I came here yesterday too but failed to see the doctor as there was a huge rush at the OPD. Today, I arrived here at 7 am. I hope, I will be successful in seeing the doctor today,” he said.

“It becomes very difficult to stand in a queue as people keep pushing you aside. Same is the scenario inside OPDs. People sometimes do not let you explain the ailment to the doctor and keep pestering you to get up, so they can consult the doctor,” said Sushma, a patient.

Meanwhile, doctors in all departments say there is a dire need for appointing more doctors keeping in view the rush of patients at the hospital.

Two medicine specialists at the hospital are doing many other duties apart from seeing patients. “We have to go for court evidence, VVIP duties, outreach camps, examine people who are applying for arms licence, going on a pilgrimage or being appointed to government jobs. We have to finish all these jobs before coming to the OPDs. There are only two medicine specialists and we need at least five of them keeping in view the rush,” said Dr Avinash Jindal, a medicine specialist.

There is a 20-bedded Dengue Ward which remains full to capacity. Sometimes two patients can be seen sharing a bed. Around eight suspected patients are daily admitted to the ward.

Dr Ramesh, District Epidemiologist, said: “Suspected patients are admitted to Dengue Ward. After receipt of their test reports, only confirmed patients are kept in the ward and the rest are shifted,” he said.

Senior Medical Officer Sukhjeewan Kakkar agrees that the hospital needed more doctors. “We have no permanent radiologist in the hospital. There is a part-time radiologist, who is SMO, Maloud. She has to coordinate work at both places,” he said.

“Almost all departments need more doctors and we have been regularly sending our requests to the higher authorities,” he said.