Government Wenlock Hospital is severely understaffed, employees told J.R. Lobo, MLA, Mangalore City (South), when he visited the hospital on Wednesday. Whatever resources are available are spread too thin, affecting patients.
Rosamma, Nursing Superintendent, said the hospital requires 50 staff members that are sanctioned but they are not at work. Of the 230 posts in Group ‘D’, 75 are working. Of 13 nursing superintendents’ posts in Grade ‘2’, seven are working and in Grade ‘1’, one sanctioned and it is vacated. Of 20 senior staff nurses, nine are working.
She said there are 125 government nurses (50 from KMC, 19 on contract, seven including three from National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). In ICU there are two staff members for seven beds. Shobha, Nursing Superintendent, said, “This way, is it sufficient?”
New blocks are started but there is no staff. There is no ECG technician and dialysis technician. The requirement is for 50 more nurses, they said.
M. Venkatraya Prabhu, Dean, KMC, said, “Government duty nurses and general duty workers’ posts have to be filled. Unless that is done, no amount of effort will help.”
Mr. Lobo said, “Shortage of staff is a major issue. KMC is providing doctors and nurses (50). We have to think over this. If required, I will raise the issue on the floor of the Assembly”.
Parents in paediatric cases struggle as admission process is in the main hospital and wards in another. The paediatrics building has new counters (registration, enquiry, cash and drug counter), all lying empty for three years. “Billing is there (in the main building), it is difficult”, said the parent of a child with cancer.
B. Shantharam Baliga said four posts sanctioned for the counters were diverted to the main hospital to cater to the shortage there.
Mr. Lobo said, “The biggest problem is short supply of different staff. There are no people, so everything is done at a centralised place. The solution is to provide staff.”
Mangalore: B. Shantharam Baliga, Professor and HOD, Department of Paediatrics, KMC, Mangalore, told J.R. Lobo, that the centre for the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) Plus (of the National TB Control Programme), to treat patients with multiple drug resistance (MDR-TB) from four districts, should be set up at Moodushedde, which has a TB sanatorium, rather than housing it at Wenlock Hospital.
Getting MDR people from other districts to Wenlock Hospital is dangerous as it is located in a thickly populated area.
People will move around and spread the resistance among the population.
J. R. Lobo, MLA, Mangalore (South), however, said since Moodushedde is also a densely populated area, it should be set up in a secluded place.
