Government hospitals usually conjure up images of squalor, confusion, OPD blocks chock-a-block with patients, and an over-riding stench typical of all medical institutions. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital is like any other government hospital, but what gives this hospital an edge over the others is its location – it’s located in the heart of the city.
Unlike some of the other hospitals The Hindu visited earlier during its reality check series “Health of Hospitals”, no stray animals were seen on the hospital premises. An interaction with a cross-section of patients at various counters did not throw up any case where the waiting time for some key diagnostic tests ran into months.
This hospital plays host to many high-profile patients and even the doctors acknowledged this as the reason for better . “There is an added pressure to maintain this hospital as almost every day, one of your patients could be a Minister or a Member of Parliament,” said a doctor on condition of anonymity.
The OPD as well as some of the wards that The Hindu visited also seemed cleaner as compared to other hospitals.
The cleaning work is managed by an international non-government organisation, which has won several awards in the areas of health and sanitation.
But that relative advantage does not translate into an absolute one.
Long queues (the hospital caters to an average of 12 lakh OPD patients every year) mean common people finding themselves bearing the brunt of delays, some of them with potentially serious consequences.
“My mother is in her sixties and suffering from a heart ailment. I have been called to come after ten days for her Echo Test. Then there are three other tests that she needs to undergo. The huge volume of patients here means it would not be possible for us to get all the four tests done in a single day. But making frequent trips to this place could take a toll on my mother’s health as she struggles with even basic movements. But do I have a choice?” said Manoj Sharma, an insurance agent standing at a registration counter.
At times, long queues also deter many from availing the services of the hospital. After being injured in an accident this past week, Ravi Murthy went there for treatment and was asked to get an X-ray of his leg. He, however, found himself as the 200 in the waiting order. “It could have taken hours or even a day. The sight of many with their broken arms almost detached from their body compelled me to go to a private hospital instead,” said Ravi.
Waiting at another registration counter of an OPD, retired police sub-inspector Narain claimed that delays could not always be because of numbers.
He alleged that those allotting numbers at the counter give preferential treatments to those known to them or willing to pay money giving them priority while allotting the numbers.
The hospital, established during the Colonial era, has nearly a thousand beds and is spread across 30 acres. According to figures available on its website, it admits about 46,000 patients annually, while treating 1.5 lakh in the emergency.
Similarly, about 5,000 CT scan, 1.70 lakh X-ray cases, 28 lakh laboratory tests and about 17,000 ultrasound are done.
