Is this called effective healthcare in Telangana

Nalgonda: At a time when the State government is boasting of providing corporate- style health services, patients visiting Nalgonda district headquarters hospital are left to face untold hardships.

Inadequate bed strength, shortage of gynaecologists, sphygmomanometers and MRI facilities, lack of amenities like washrooms, drinking water etc are plaguing this hospitals which is visited by hundreds of patients daily. Topping the list is the absence of medical officers from the hospital after 1 pm who disappear to attend private practice.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

• Staff crunch, inadequate medical equipment, beds and lack of basic facilities plague the Nalgonda district headquarter hospital
• Hospital has only two gynaecologists to attend to nearly 100 patients a day
• Due to lack of adequate number of beds, mothers and their newborns are made to rest on the floor
• Out of 400 beds, nearly 150 beds are in dire need of repairs

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Last week, Governor ESL Narasimhan visited the labour and emergency wards of the hospital and issued directions to the District Collector to respond immediately. But, it seems there is no improvement in the situation due to ineffective official coordination.

The installed bed strength of the hospital is 400. However, the effective strength is only 250 as many beds are need of repairs. With only 40 beds in the labour ward, expectant mothers along with the newborn are accommodated on the floor of the labour ward.

On an average, 100 expectant mothers visit the hospital for regular check-ups. But, there are only two gynaecologists to examine them. The hospital records many delivery cases from all parts of the district, besides pregnant woman visiting the facility for regular check-ups. With the gynaecologists also checking the expectant mothers, delivery and cesarean surgeries are badly-affected.

Against the requirement of five gynaecologists, there are only three working in the hospital. While one of them works in the night, the rest have to screen patients and also conduct deliveries.

Pleas for appointing more gynaecologists seem to have fallen flat with the government. The existing medical officers are somehow running the show at the hospital.

The hospital out-patient department receives at least 500 patients a day. Most of them are greeted with inadequate medical staff, prevailing unhygienic conditions on the hospital premises, lack of amenities and so on.

In spite of the fact that the district medical officers are fully aware of the prevailing situation, precious little is being done to address the problems, it is alleged.

Meanwhile, those who accompany patients are forced to take shelter under the shade of a tree, in verandahs or in sheds in the compound. The lack of minimum facilities is making them leave the hospital. Despite all this, the administration refuses to be awake from its slumber.

Most shocking is, after 1 pm many medical officers leave the hospital for their private practice. The allegations are that they are not devoting considerable time for the treatment of patients. The hospital’s rule of performing only 10 or 12 surgeries per day is proving to be troublesome for the patients.

Talking to The Hans India, hospital superintendent Dr Narsinga Rao said the Governor, who had visited the hospital recently, asked the hospital staff to ensure that patients visiting the facility faced no problems.

The main problem of the hospital is inadequate bed strength, especially 40 in the labour ward. Patients are referred to the hospital from Miryalaguda, Nagarjunasagar, Choutuppal, Devarakonda and Nakrekal. Additional building of the hospital is under construction. Toilets are being built in the hospital and steps are on to provide drinking water facility.

CPM leader Paladugu Nagarjuna pointed out that no special arrangements have been made for patients even after the Governor’s visit. There are only two gynaecologists to examine more than 200 patients.

Even sphygmomanometers are not available in good numbers. Charitable trust is running a drinking water booth on the hospital premises that reflect the sorry-state-of-affairs in the hospital.