Udupi dist women’s hospital faces critical space and infrastructure inadequacy

Udupi dist women’s hospital faces critical space and infrastructure inadequacy

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, 8, 2014: The district hospital for women and children in Udupi  with 78 beds is in dire need of space. The increasing in flow of patients and delay in upgrading the hospital, has aggravated the problem and public is facing dire consequences. 

 

 

The hospital is overcrowded and patients are forced to sleep in the corridor and occupy any available space. The struggle for space by the accompanying attendants is another problem in the hospital.

Make shift beds are put on the corridor and the patients, especially puerperal women are made to sleep in  unhygienic conditions. There are no functional fans in the corridor and the mosquitoes and flies are frequent visitors adding to illness.  The seating facilities is bad for the relatives who accompany the patients. A patient Reshma Rai (name changed), who delivered a baby few days ago stated that majority of the women after delivery have to sleep in the corridor as there is no space in the ward. “After 6pm, it is a nightmare here as mosquitoes and insects attack us and often the lights in the corridor are a problem” she said.“We elders can somehow manage from mosquito bites, but how to protect the new born babies from mosquito bites,” she demanded.

Vishaya Pojary, (name changed) complained that the toilets in the ward are not highly improper. It is impossible even to enter the toilets. “There are very few nurses and doctors to hear patients’ grievances and solve the issues. During night  if any patient develops complications, the victims suffer in a hazardous way as it is very difficult to find any doctors. Unfortunately, the patients are dumped as though they are animals even this situation is not fit for animals” she quips. There is an immediate need to increase the number of beds at the hospital by upgrading the hospital and providing tolerable amenities at least.

There are only two doctors and four nurses to attend the patients in the hospital, which gets on an average eight to ten delivery cases a day. The hospital which is still in the taluk-level grade needs upgradation to the status of district hospital. The hospital was established in the late 1940s and remains in the same manner since then. Besides delivery cases, there are pediatric cases which are attended in the hospital.

Staff shortages  :  One of the physicians on condition of anonymity told us reporters  that the hospital has only the same infrastructure as when it was first started. “The government does not realise that the inflow of patients to the hospital has increased tremendously over the years and the system of medicine it self has developed. Additional staff and increase in facilities are urgent needs of the hour.” he points out.

Frequent repeated appeals for sanctioning more facilities and staff, no concrete action has been taken up so far by the government. At least, the government should have taken an immediate decision to upgrade the hospital following the district status accorded to Udupi in 1997. It is an impossible job for limited number of doctors and nurses to handle large number of patients.

“Owing to shortage of nursing staff, they have to work round the clock. At the end of the day, humanly they are not able to provide justice to patients. People take government hospital for granted and create nuisance even for slight delay in providing the service,” the doctor lamented. ‘Govt must act’ and things need to change soon.

District Surgeon Dr Anand Nayak said that the government is yet to take a decision on the upgradation of the hospital. It is highly impossible to manage a large number of patients with limited facilities. Currently, there are only two doctors and two posts are lying vacant. More than 200 delivery cases are handled in the hospital per month. He said that the hospital is not to be blamed for unhygienic condition and inadequate facilities. “We can not send the patients back, as almost all patients who come here are from poor background and time is not in favour. We are trying our level best to manage the situation with whatever facilities available,” he added and pleaded for better consideration without delay.