| Needed: Trolleys, wheel chairs for GMC Hospital | | | Mohd Irfan
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 24: Minister for Health Chowdhary Lal Singh misses no moment to boast about his ministry's 'achievements', but a visit to premier Government Hospital of Jammu (GMCH) belies all such claims.
Forget major machines, the hospital does not have even functional trolleys and wheel chairs.
At the entrance of emergency section, there is a chain of stretchers but hardly one of them is working. If any stretcher works, it is without cushion, and most of the patients don't use it.
Some trolleys are without legs and the attendants have to take care while ferrying their patient.
Condition of the wheel chairs is pathetic, to say the least. Most of them are broken while some have deflated tyres.
Giving vent to his anger, Sohan Singh, an attendant of a patient admitted at the hospital told Early Times, "Lal Singh spends most of the time in functions so that his photo appears in newspapers next morning. His surprise visits to the hospitals won't serve any purpose until and unless the hospitals are better equipped."
It may be mentioned that the GMC hospital is thronged by patients from far-flung areas like Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, etc.
Given the huge rush of patients coupled with rising cases of road mishaps, the hospital should have been provided with adequate infrastructure. "The poor condition of stretchers and wheel chairs leaves bad impression on the patients," said a hospital insider, adding that some times attendants of patients quarrel with each other for wheel chairs and trolleys. Many attendants said they have to deposit Rs 50 as security for using trolleys.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Ravinder Rattan Paul said they have provided 50 fresh trolleys with cushions in hospital few weeks ago.
He, however, admitted that since there is huge influx of patients, more trolleys are needed.
Dr Paul said, "Wheel chairs are being used less in numbers." Asked about the security deposit of Rs 50 for using trolley, he said, "Yes, we take it, and if people oppose it we can roll back this step." |
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