Tirupati: All's not well with Ruia hospital

Tirupati: Poor patients, who visit Sri Venkateswara Ram Narain Ruia Government General Hospital popularly known as Ruia hospital, have been facing severe hardships right from getting a bed to getting the required medicines.

Many patients could not get a bed without recommendation. In spite of several complaints from time to time, there was no change in the situation with the apathy of hospital administration.

Doctors are not seen even in the emergency ward, especially during nights and public holidays and the responsibility of attending to patients fall on PG doctors. Patients' attendants complain that there was no monitoring mechanism and their requests for treatment to their near and dear go in vain.

The hospital was under severe criticism for its negligence in monitoring the oxygen supplies well in time which has caused more than 20 deaths in May last year.

The District Collector had warned the hospital administration to set things right on many occasions but no change could be seen. The patients and their attendants complain that they were facing rough attitudes from the staff in wards. Though resident medical officers have to stay in the hospital premises, they stay outside and it has become a difficult task to go in touch with them in need of the hour.

Hospital Development Society (HDS) working chairman Bandla Chandrasekhar paid a surprise visit to the emergency ward a couple of days back and was shocked to note the pathetic situation there. He even wrote to the hospital superintendent on his observations. Speaking to The Hans India, he said that, at the time of visit he found a woman from Puthalapattu was dead and her attendants were waiting for over two hours for Mahaprasthanam vehicle but the staff was non-cooperative.

He said that the CMO and other staff were not there in the emergency wing. Even in the medicine ward, no MNOs or FNOs were there. There were no stretchers to carry the patients to CT or MRI scans or to other tests. In spite of having adequate medicines in the pharmacy, the patients were asked to buy medicines from outside.

The stretcher boys have been demanding money from the patients to take them to scanning or other tests. "Several Aarogyasri cases have been going to private hospitals because of the negligent attitude of the staff," said a source.