Government Wenlock Hospital may be able to cure its patients of deadly diseases, but what ails the hospital itself are crumbling walls, peeling plaster and wastewater woes.
City MLA J.R. Lobo, speaking at a meeting with officials after inaugurating the renovated kitchen at the hospital on Wednesday, said he would write to the Deputy Commissioner about the infrastructure at Wenlock Hospital.
District Surgeon and Medical Superintendent H.R. Rajeshwari said that drainage was repaired repeatedly but since it was an old building, repairs were difficult. The lack of staff also affects cleanliness – the hospital has only 75 staff members from the allotted 288 Group D employees. Most of them are old or retiring. She said, “It is not enough…with 75 (Group D employees) what work can I do? It is impossible.”
She said the roof leaked in many places. A kitchen worker said that out of 20 posts allotted for the kitchen, there were only seven on duty.
Medical students
Mr. Lobo said the issue of keeping account of medical students from Kasturba Medical College (KMC) working in the hospital would be looked into. He said that the issue required discussion with the Ministers for Medical Education and Health.
He was responding to a comment that there was no account of students from KMC working at the hospital and that the KMC hall in the hospital was hardly manned. “It exists only to show to MCI (Medical Council of India) once a year. There is a dean’s room and we have no space here in this hospital,” the questioner said.
Dr. Rajeshwari said Wenlock receive a list of doctors and postgraduate students from KMC as part of the Wenlock-KMC public private partnership. It can only ensure that the hospital was run according to MCI norms on instructions of Directorate of Medical Education (DME).
Dr. Rajeshwari said a place has been identified for a superspeciality hospital under the National Urban Health Mission.
