The Hindu : Gandhi Hospital patients a confused lot

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Gandhi Hospital patients a confused lot

By K.V.S. Madhav

HYDERABAD, JAN. 13. People rushing in, anxiety writ large on their faces, and people rushing out, anxiety turning into desperation. The new building of the Gandhi Hospital stands tall, but in terms of delivery of services, it appears to be falling short. This is particularly so in emergency cases as everyday at least 150 patients, who walk into the new building, have to beat a hasty retreat to the old and murky premises located two km away.

The reason? The all important Emergency and Out Patient Blocks, which draw a large number of people, are still located on the old premises.

"This has become a routine affair. People think the hospital has been shifted completely to the new building," security personnel on duty at the new premises said.

"Was this an election ploy? Why should they inaugurate the building when it was not fully ready?" asked an irate Venkat Reddy, who had rushed to the hospital with a friend who was injured in Mulug on the Siddipet road. "Coming all the way from such a long distance, we had to turn back and rush to the old premises of the hospital. Think about the time that was lost. What about emergency cases where every second counts," he fumed.

And this going in circles is bound to continue for at least another six months as against three months time projected at the time of the building inaugural in November last. Works were apace on the Emergency, Radiology, Trauma and Out Patient Blocks and necessary equipment was being procured, the Gandhi Hospital Superintendent, A.C. Chary, told The Hindu. "For now, the plan of running the hospital from two premises holds good. It is, in fact, working out reasonably well," he maintained.

"We are trying to shift the hospital in a phased manner. The medical college was shifted first and the departments are being shifted one after the other. We plan to open three or four operation theatres after Sankranthi, but the process has been affected by the junior doctors' strike. With junior doctors and the Government at loggerheads, we are unable to focus on the shifting process," he said. Tenders that were called for the shifting process appeared to have been kept on hold too by the APHMDC, sources said.

House surgeons and post-graduate medical students, too, were up in arms a month ago as their accommodation was planned in the yet to be completed out patient and emergency blocks. "There was no post-graduate accommodation in the Gandhi Hospital and Gandhi Medical College earlier and permanent accommodation has been earmarked to them in the out patient and emergency blocks of the new complex. We have given them temporary accommodation," Dr. Chary explained.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

Utter chaos in surrounding areas

Nine MMTS stations ready for commissioning

Go `fast track', obtain building permission

In Hyderabad Today

Time running out for junior doctors?

Two held, counterfeit coins seized

Unaccounted cash found

Governor's Sankranti greetings

Glendale Academy to open pre-primary section

Cartoon contest winners

Gandhi Hospital patients a confused lot

Around the City