The Government General Hospital in Guntur, with a sanctioned bed strength of 1,177, is also the referral hospital for four districts of Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam and West Godavari. Every day, the hospital handles 5,000 persons, which includes 3,000 patients who turn up for outpatient services and 1,200 inpatients and their attendants, putting an enormous stress on the limited facilities.
Established as a district headquarters hospital in 1848 in a rented tiled house on the Madras Trunk Road, the GGH was upgraded as a teaching hospital and was moved to the present location opposite the Railway Station. Spread in 19 acres, the GGH has an OP Block, several inpatient units housed in the old building and several others added subsequently.
While sanitation remains the major issue plaguing the hospital, the tragic death of a newborn in the neonatal ward due to rodent bite in August 2015 has turned everyone’s attention to the state of affairs. The GGH is located opposite the railway station and the sewer lines laid many years ago have become a safe haven for rats and other bugs.
“The shortage of class IV employees is our biggest concern. We are trying to improve sanitation and had even outsourced the wing, and things are improving. There is a lot of change in the wards and the attitude of staff is changing,” District Collector and Chairman of Hospital Development Society ,Kona Sasidhar said.
Poor infrastructure
The GGH has been beset with problems ranging from poor infrastructure, lack of maintenance, poor sanitation and shortage of manpower in clinical and non-clinical units. The GGH today houses some very old structures built in the early 1950s and some modern blocks. Over the years, the structures have crumbled and new buildings have been added, but lack of planning has added to the problems.
The GGH is also facing a shortage of beds. The hospital Superintendent has sent a proposal to add 439 additional beds in the 23 departments to comply with the norms of the Medical Council of India. As against the demand of 600 nurses, the hospital has just 185 nurses.
Alumni role
But thankfully, the alumni of the Guntur Medical College have been the biggest contributors to the GGH. In 2013, the Guntur Medical College Alumni of North America (GMCANA) raised over ₹15 crore to build the five-storeyed super speciality block, which presently houses department of Cardiology, Neurology, Casualty and Trauma Care. The GGH has tied up with Sahrudaya Trust in which surgeries under NTR Vaidya Seva are being performed. Over 300 cardio thoracic and 18 kidney transplant surgeries have been conducted in the new block.
The GGH is also adding new facilities. A new cancer unit is being built with contribution from Natco, a new service block is being constructed at a cost of ₹10 crore, a mother and child care block with a bed strength of 640 and a paediatric wing is being constructed at a cost of ₹35 crore.
