No ward attendant at Bathinda hospital, critical patients suffer

QUOTE: SMO CITES STAFF CRUNCH

“There is a ward attendant at the emergency unit but he remains busy in work. There’s staff crunch too… Also, persons accompanying patients can ask the attendant to come outside and help them.”

– Dr Maninder Pal Singh, smo, bathinda civil hospital

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 15

In the absence of ward attendants at the emergency unit of the Bathinda Civil Hospital, family members/relatives are forced to lift and carry critical patients themselves inside the premises.

Even when the critical patients are inside the emergency unit, there is no one to move them around. The patients are seen moving inside the unit on their own while others are assisted by relatives accompanying them.

Family members or relatives of these critical patients can be seen taking them out from ambulances and then carry them to the emergency unit.

Even critically injured road accident victims, who are fighting for life, are lifted by family members and taken to the unit. Setting up a helpdesk at the entrance of the emergency unit can definitely spare them the inconvenience, said a doctor.

Dr Maninder Pal Singh, Senior Medical Officer, Civil Hospital, however, said: “There is a ward attendant at the emergency unit but he often remains busy in the work. Also, there is a shortage of staff. If the ward attendant will stand at the entrance then the work inside the unit will get hampered.”