One has heard of overcrowded government hospitals without amenities, but the 250-bed Sir C.V. Raman General Hospital presents a picture of contrast. Equipped with modern machines and the required number of doctors, including specialists, only 50 beds are occupied.
The expensive blood bank equipment procured in 2013 and dialysis machine are lying unused. Patients, who allege that they are forced to pay bribes, instead prefer to take treatment either in the K.R. Puram General Hospital or any private hospital.
Health Minister U.T. Khader, who made a surprise visit to the hospital on Friday, was shocked to see that doctors, including the Medical Superintendent, Sandhya, had not reported for duty even at half past nine.
When most of the hospitals elsewhere in the State are short-staffed and patients are deprived of specialists services, this hospital has 31 doctors, including three specialists, 52 nurses, adequate lab technicians and 36 ‘D’ group employees, he said.
He said several patients complained to him that the staff demanded money for every service. A patient’s relative, Prabhavathi, complained that people have to pay no less than Rs. 5,000 for a delivery and Rs. 10,000 for any other surgery.
Irked by the apparent mismanagement, the Minister gave the hospital administration a month’s time to improve the services or face action. “If the system does not improve by next month, you all will face the music,” he said.
The expensive blood bank equipment procured in 2013 and dialysis machine are lying unused
