Malwa's lone govt-run physiotherapy unit at Bathinda hospital lying closed

Sameer Singh

Bathinda, August 1

The Malwa region’s lone government-run physiotherapy unit at the local Civil Hospital has been lying locked in the absence of staff for months, forcing a lot of patients from south districts to visit the city’s private clinics that charge them exorbitant rates.

Efforts on to make IT functional soon

I have joined recently, but the matter is in my notice. I will review all aspects related to the physiotherapy unit and write to the higher authorities to make it functional again. Dr Tejwant Singh Dhillon, Civil Surgeon

Sources said the lone physiotherapist at the Civil Hospital was transferred a few months ago and since then, the unit had been lying shut.

This unit is one the best maintained in the state, having 34 machines, a four-room OPD, equipment and exercise rooms, and a general ward.

The physiotherapist, with the help of nursing students, was catering to 50 to 70 patients at the OPD daily. He remained occupied with work even after the standard OPD hours (summer) from 8 am to 2 pm. As it normally takes around 45 minutes for getting the physiotherapy exercises done, he used to work till 4 pm to 5 pm on many days.

For a single exercise session, patients (below 60 years) were paying Rs 80 at the Civil Hospital. Now, the unit is locked and the patients who can’t afford to visit private clinics are returning without getting the treatment. Meanwhile, those who can afford treatment from private clinics are paying Rs 300 or above on an average for one sitting.

Besides post-operative patients, those with orthopaedics, neurology, cancer, cardiac problems and cerebral palsy were receiving treatment at this unit.

Also, owing to the full-fledged and state-of-the-art machinery and equipment at the unit, patients not only from Bathinda, but also from Barnala, Faridkot, Moga and Talwandi Sabo as well as from Haryana used to visit here.