Sickening Apathy Of Managements: Medical equipment left ailing at govt hospitals

Afzalgunj : Doctors at government hospitals often cut a sorry face, while asking poor patients to get tests done at private hospitals. Utter lack of upkeep has led to dysfunctional equipment. Though crores of rupees were invested in procuring various equipment, the government is not ensuring their good condition. As a result, poor people are bearing the brunt.

Highlighting the negligent attitude of the government, Dr Ambedkar, working at Osmania Hospital, observes that most of the equipment in the government hospitals is rusting away because of lack of maintenance. He points out that it was the responsibility of director of hospitals to monitor the equipment and ensure that they were in working condition.

"I would like to recall an instance of negligence. At Sarojini Eye hospital, the laser equipment for eye treatment was purchased but due to poor maintenance, it became dysfunctional.

A private laboratory bought the same machine and started earning in crores. If the State-run hospitals maintains the equipment properly, it could serve the poor patients and save the taxpayers money," he added. The doctors deplore that valuable equipment CT scan, ABG machines and others are regularly found to be non-functioning at several government hospitals.

Explaining the lack of infrastructure facilities, Dr Md Iqbal Jaweed, a physician and consultant at NIRDPR, says that as the inpatient block of Osmania General hospital remained closed since July, the equipment rusted." The OGH had acquired the Faco emulsification machine (laser machine) and now it is out of order.

The PG students are not able to get enough clinical exposure and a chance to get trained on it. More working equipment is needed for service of the deserving and also academics in all departments of medical colleges, he said.

"The government purchases machinery worth crores but it fails to maintain it. For Instance, the CT scan machinery has not been working in the Osmania hospital for a long time and the administration hardly reacts for such concerns and it takes at least a day to get it functional," said Dr Rohit of Osmania Hospital.

"We had two CT scan machines in the hospital, out of which one has been not in service for past several days and the other needs repairs every alternate day," he added.

Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) test equipment at the Chest Hospital turned dysfunctional within a month after its installation and the patients are being forced to go for tests at private labs. It costs Rs 600 per ABG test.