Lack of staff, infra hits working of Faridabad Civil Hospital

Faridabad, September 23

The 200-bed Badshah Khan (BK) Civil Hospital in the city, one of the largest state government hospitals in the state, is faced with the problems related to infrastructure and amenities issues connected with the patients. The hospital attends to more than 2,400 patients daily in its OPD.

As many as eight out of the total 14 chambers of freezers used to keep the bodies in the mortuary have been lying non-functional for months, according to sources in the Health Department.

“Only six chambers of a freezer donated by an industrial group here about six months ago are functional, making it difficult to deal with preserving the bodies till their disposal,” reveal sources.

There is a shortage of bed sheets in the emergency ward of the hospital and only four of the 17 beds in have functional oxygen suction and flowmeter.

The patients are often asked to procure many medicines from outside as over 50 per cent of the 415 types of medicines prescribed for availability in the hospital are unavailable at any given time, it is claimed. All the six air-conditioners installed in the emergency ward have been non-operational for the past several months, it is added.

The hospital also faces a shortage of medical staff, including doctors and nurses. The emergency OPD has just two General Duty Medical Officers against the requirement of at least 12, reveal sources. “The shortage of specialist doctors, including those of medicine, echocardiologist, radiologist, gastroenterologist and neurosurgeon, is a matter of concern,” says Satish Chopra, a social activist. A large number of posts of nurse, pharmacist, OT attendants and ECG technicians are also vacant.

While the Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Officer remained unavailable for comment, an official of the Health Department said that the issue of staff and infrastructural facilities has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned.