the goan I network
VASCO
Finding patients is an unusually quick and easy exercise at the 120-bedded Chicalim Sub-District Hospital.
Believe it or not, the hospital has only one functioning ward and all patients -- males, female, children and even maternity patients -- are admitted in one common ward, even though the hospital, commissioned in January, has different wards.
The Chicalim Sub-District Hospital was inaugurated by Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho in the presence of Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane and all BJP legislators of Mormugao Taluka in January, but it is yet to be fully functional.
Despite being designed with state-of-art machinery, dedicated wards, operation theatre and a morgue, the new hospital has been struggling with staff and facilities assured are far from reality, five months after being inaugurated.
Though the hospital has different wards, several locals have complained that all patients -- males, females, children and maternity patients -- are admitted in one single ward, which has a common toilet for males and females, thus causing inconvenience to patients.
Mormugao Councillor Saifullah Khan said the Baina Health Centre had been neglected, while the new sub district hospital was of no use given the absence of machinery and facilities. “Despite having the Sub-District Hospital, people are still being referred to GMC hospital,” said Khan.Patients in one ward due to shortage of staff: Dr Borkar
VASCO: Admitting that all patients were being admitted into one ward, Dr Rajendra Borkar, Health Officer of Baina Health Centre who has been given additional charge of the Chicalim Sub District Hospital, claimed the problem was largely due to shortage of nursing and technical staff.
“The new hospital was commissioned in January and we have different wards for males, females, maternity and paediatrics. But we are short of nursing staff and hence, we cannot accommodate different patients in separate wards,” said Dr Borkar.
“We are also experiencing technical difficulties in terms of light connections, while technical staff like electricians, plumbers, AC mechanics, etc. are not yet available.”
“This may have been due to the recent election code of conduct, but we hope that new staff will be recruited soon. Once we get the staff, we will put different patients in different wards.”
“At present, we are forced to accommodate maternity patients in one ward only. Our operation theatre is being completed and we don’t have full staff there as well.”
Dr Borkar said they had shifted most of the sections and machinery to the new hospital, except that of the dental department, X-Ray machines and laboratory, which are still at the old Cottage Hospital.
“We have not received a fixed X-Ray machine for the new hospital and we are in the process of furnishing our new laboratory. All these things will be completed before the rains,” said Dr Borkar.
