Impatient people stage protest against hospital

Mandi, June 7
Residents of Dharampur, Sarkaghat and Gopalpur today held an agitation against the shortage of gynaecologists, surgeons, anaesthetists and technicians at the Civil Hospital, Sarkaghat, being run as the first referral unit (FRU) catering to over one lakh people.
Staging a protest against the government’s failure to provide doctors and hygiene at the hospital, the residents under the banner of the Kisan Sabha and the Janvadi Mahila Samiti resented the government’s talks about health services at the doorstep, but there are no “specialist doctors at the hospital”. Most of the patients are referred to the zonal hospital, Mandi, said Bhupender Singh, who led the protest in front of the Civil Hospital.
Though it has been upgraded to 100-bed hospital about 10 years ago, it has laid 77 beds in the old building where patients are almost holed up as it has not enough space to accommodate even 50 beds, said insiders.
The toilets stunk as there was erratic supply of water and health staff looked the other way to maintain health and hygiene for the indoor patients, resented patients. There was no facility for the attendants of the patients in or around the hospital and as such they had to stay in the open, they rued.
The government has started the round-the-clock free delivery services for patients at the FRU, but there is no gynaecologist in this hospital. The doctors take risk as hospital does not have an anaesthetist or specialist to deal with the emergency.
Apart from Sarkaghat subdivision, hospital gets more than 500 patients daily from its adjoining areas from Ghumarwin, Bhoranj, Toni Devi and Ladbharol as well. The hospital does not have a blood bank and no surgeon, the residents said.
Senior Medical Officer, Sarkaghat, Dr BR Chauhan, said, “They face shortage of specialists. We need a technician, and five posts of doctor are lying vacant. But we refer complicated cases to the zonal hospital, which has a blood bank”, he added.

shortcomings

n Shortage of gynaecologists, surgeons, anaesthetists and technicians at the Civil Hospital
n No blood bank
n Poor hygiene and health services
n Erratic water supply
n Toilet stinks