A patient at the TB hospital at Monte has more chances ofcontracting Tuberculosis than getting cured from it.
It’s almost an old-aged home for the migrants. With Goanspreferring to take treatment from home, the critically shortstaffed and badlymaintained TB hospital at Monte in Margao has become a refuge for migrants.
The hospital located in an old dilapidated structure isinfested with mosquitoes, leaky roof, dirty corridors and creakinginfrastructure.
The hospital also has a drug detoxification centre.
“We have 23 male patients in the male OPD with a capacityfor 35 patients and five women in the female OPD with a capacity of 15 beds.But with the new DOTS treatment for TB patients, Goans prefer to take treatmentat home,” stated a senior nurse.
On daily basis a different visiting doctor from Hospicio isdeputed to the TB hospital, which is critically understaff ed. Only six nursesreport to the TB hospital out of the designated 24, as most of the nurses havebeen diverted to the Hospicio.
Investigations by The Goan have revealed that most offi cestaff and nurses including the matron goes on long leave as soon as they aredeputed to the TB hospital. Further investigations revealed that the staff alsoindulge in “back dated” signing and oft en use “correction ink” on alreadyapplied leave.
In a startling revelation, Matron Archangela Araujodisclosed that migrants suffering from TB from Karnataka and Maharashtra areadmitted on fake Goan addresses at the hospital to avail free service and food.
Similarly, alcoholics, mostly migrant, are brought in bycops. They are brought for detoxification but end up living in the hospital tilldeath, the matron said.
Lack of nurses and unqualified support staff, who do not followproper medical procedures is a big concern. Medical Superintendent Dr P SNachinolkar said that large number of patients visit Hospicio every day fromSouth Goa. The garbage and bio-medical waste is handled by a governmentappointed contractor who has to see to the hospital hygiene, he added.
“I believe any medical facility needs to provide hundred percent hygiene. The shortfall the TB hospital in terms of manpower will be met inthe next fifteen days,” Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said.
“A much bigger concern is the bio-medical waste (usedsyringes, tubes and needles) which are kept in a storeroom where fresh medicinesare stored,” a frail TB patient Sunita Chari revealed to The Goan. The reasonfor storing the waste in the storeroom is because the contractor who issupposed to pick up the waste fails to turn up on daily basis.
“Issues like bio-medical waste, shortage of staff and cleanlinessin hospitals are to be taken up by the health minister,” Health direcctorSanjeev Dalvi said.
