Solan: Lacking specialists, Arki hospital referring cases to other institutes

Ambika Sharma

Solan, March 11

Lacking key specialists and adequate facilities, the Civil Hospital at Arki has been referring many cases to other hospitals.

As many as 499 patients were referred from this hospital to higher medical institutes in Shimla in the last three years. A large number of them comprised women having antenatal issues. In the absence of a radiologist, expectant mothers are facing hardships in travelling to places like Shimla for even laboratory tests.

Cases like pain in abdomen, jaundice, loose motions, fever, snake bite, asthma, vomiting, appendicitis, pyrexia, poisoning, vesicle calculus, birth asphyxia, pancreatitis, fractures, insect bite, chest pain etc., were among those referred to the IGMC, Shimla, or the regional hospital at Solan for further management.

While 135 cases were referred in 2019 and 151 in 2020, this figure rose to 205 in 2021 while eight cases have been referred this year.

The hospital lacks specialists like orthopaedic and radiologist and their absence affects the treatment of many patients.

Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthy, while terming the lack of staff as lamentable, said since the Arki Civil Hospital catered to a large area, specialists in key departments should be available. This will save the residents from being referred to places like Shimla which is not feasible for the poor.

Awasthy, who posed a question in the Vidhan Sabha, said the Civil Hospital has been reduced to a referral health institute which did not do justice for a rural area like Arki.

“Most of the women having gynaecological problems are referred to the IGMC in Shimla and it becomes difficult to go there time and again for people with fewer means. It has almost become a habit of doctors to refer antenatal cases to other hospitals. The state government should either place more specialists here or should provide adequate infrastructure to conduct key lab tests here by posting a radiologist here,” said Kamala, a local resident.

Expectant mothers face hassles

• As many as 499 patients were referred from this hospital to higher medical institutes in Shimla in the last three years.
• A large number of them comprised of women having antenatal issues. In the absence of a radiologist, expectant mothers are facing hardships in travelling to places like Shimla even for laboratory tests.