Hospital sans doctors run by paramedics

Lal Darwaza: Due to non-availability of duty doctors at Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) at Aliyabad in Lal Darwaza, the patients visiting the hospital are returning back without consulting. Disappointed by the apathetic state of affairs at the hospital the locals are forced to visit nearby private clinics. The hospital running since 1948 has all the required equipment for the patients has been running with no medical officer and duty doctor for the last three months. The present staff consists of two nurses, a lab technician and an attender, who are attending to the patients with common ailments and dispensing available medicines to those visiting the hospital.

“As it is the only hospital in the nearby areas, the patients come from Gowlipura, Lal Darwaza, Qazipura, Aliyabad, Gazibanda and surrounding areas. The hospital is running with no duty doctor and general doctor. Hundreds of patients’ visit daily and many of them leave without consulting as there are no doctors available,” said K Venkatesh, in-charge Charminar Constituency, Congress Party. He also said that the hospital was running smoothly with an average of 300 patients visiting on daily basis and doctors attending them, but since the duty doctors were shifted to another hospital about 3 months back, the hospital remains without doctor.

“After transfer of doctor, the government should have appointed another doctor, but the matter was left unaddressed. I strongly urge the Government to immediately appoint a Doctor and set-right the affairs of the Hospital which caters to the population of around 25,000 people of Gowlipura, Lal Darwaza, and surrounding areas”, Venkatesh added. When The Hans India reporter visited the hospital there was no medical officer present, the staff said that no doctor has been appointed after the last doctor was transferred three months back. Further, three days back a temporary doctor was shifted here from other health center. But the doctor will be available for only 2 hours, while the timing of hospital is 8 am to 4 pm.

A Kantabai, one of the patients who came for a checkup from Hari Bowli, said that this is the only government hospital nearby and has been running without a doctor for the last 3 months. A nurse is dispensing general medicines for common ailments. “I visited the hospital for checkup as I am suffering from severe fever. The nurse asked me to consult a doctor outside as there is no doctor available here. If the government is providing area hospitals as part of welfare of people, it has the obligation to maintain it properly,” she added..