mangalore today

Wenlock Hospital cash strapped - DMO explains


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 16, 2015:  On an average, Dr. Rajeshwaridevi DMO  said, the hospital has been treating nearly 2,000 people every month as inpatients while around 20,000 are treated as outpatients. Nearly 50 per cent of the inpatients are from other districts — Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Davangere in Karnataka and also from Kasaragod in neighbouring Kerala.


Wenlock Hospit..


A 25-year-old pregnant woman from Anvatti in Soraba taluk of Shivamogga district, diagnosed with acute kidney problem, was admitted to the high dependency ward of Government Wenlock Hospital a few days ago.

The woman, who is into the sixth month of pregnancy, had undergone treatment in a corporate hospital in Shimovagga. She was later referred to Wenlock Hospital by the Government Mc Gann Hospital Shivamogga as they do not have facility of plasmapherasis - a method of removing blood plasma, separating it into plasma and cells, and transfusing the cells back into the bloodstream.

Wenlock Hospital has to spend Rs. 60,000 now for getting plasmapherasis for the pregnant woman. “This is a big amount for us as we are cash strapped. We are struggling to meet this expenditure,” said hospital’s superintendent and DMO Dr.H.S. Rajeshwaridevi while narrating the difficulty in meeting increasing expenses of treatment with limited budgetary support.

While the hospital has all the characteristics of a Regional Referral Hospital, Dr. Rajeshwaridevi said the funds it gets has been like any other district hospital. Against the requirement of over Rs. 3 crore a month towards drugs and other expenses, it gets just about Rs. 1 crore.

Treating below poverty line patients from Kerala has added to the burden of the hospital.

“These patients claim free treatment by showing their BPL card. We have no other go but to offer free treatment despite not being empanelled in the list of hospitals covered under the health scheme of Kerala Government,” she said.

The hospital is running the show with Rs. 2.2 crore a year clinical fee paid by Kasturba Medical College, fee paid by some nursing schools and Rs. 10 per month user fee collected every month. The KMC is also offering free laboratory services to Wenlock patients besides providing services of specialists, security personnel and house keeping staff.