Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Improve facilities at Govt. Rajaji Hospital: CPI(M)

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JULY 31. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has deplored the lack of infrastructure at the Government Rajaji Hospital here, and has said the hospital has failed to provide proper healthcare to the poor who could not afford expensive treatment at private hospitals.

Speaking to presspersons here today, the Madurai MP, P. Mohan, and the party urban district secretary, R. Jyoti Ram, said the hospital lacked basic amenities such as drinking water and toilets. The CT Scan, essential for the treatment of accident victims, did not function, making it difficult for doctors to decide the intensity of abrasions or magnitude of fractures. Moreover, the shortage of manpower and the lack of cathlab, dustbins and an air-conditioner at the mortuary had adversely affected the functioning of the hospital.

`Insufficient water supply'

They said there was no independent drinking water supply for the hospital, and the existing supply was insufficient. The hospital was crammed with in-patients, and nothing had been done to enhance the number of beds.

The orthopaedics ward, for instance, was overcrowded with 70 patients, and several of them slept on the floor. Every year 83,934 persons underwent treatment at the hospital and, on an average, 8,770 persons were treated as out patients daily. They suggested that nearly ten acres available near the children's ward be utilised for establishing an out-patient block.

The Madurai Corporation Council adopted a resolution to hand over the vacant space at the Anna bus stand to the hospital for expansion, but the Corporation officials were "reluctant to expedite the process," they alleged.

Oxygen cylinders

They also demanded steps to establish an oxygen cylinder bottling plant in the city to supply cylinders to the hospital uninterruptedly.

The delay in granting assistance for surgeries or transplants affected patients, and the Government should provide assistance to the needy at the earliest.

The hospital should be equipped with another cathlab and angiogram, and the existing cathlab repaired to help the physicians perform bypass surgeries. The ultrasound scan should be used for the out-patients too, they said.

Signature campaign

They said the party would collect signatures of one lakh persons to press the demand and submit them to the Chief Minister along with a memorandum. If the Government did not improve the facilities at the earliest, the party threatened to launch agitations.

They claimed the MP had spent Rs.55 lakhs from his Constituency Development Fund on improving the hospital, and was willing to allot more, if need be. Yet, the Government should sanction more funds, as the hospital catered for the people in the southern districts.

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