N subramanyem rao :

North Telangana's largest government hospital in Warangal is facing acute fund crunch.

• LACK OF DOCTORS, POOR FACILITIES HIT PATIENTS HARD
• Shortage of speciality doctors and paramedical staff is said to be the major problem at the hospital. The superspecialty wing is on the verge of closure as doctors who just completed post-graduation are managing the wing. There is no separate building for superspecialty care and it is housed in the old building

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Superspecialty Hospital (MGMH) is providing health services to thousands of people not only from Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam districts in Telangana but also from neighbouring Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra States. But the healthcare services are not up to the mark at the hospital due to the financial crunch. There is no proper check on the attendance of doctors and the paramedical staff.

As a result, there is an abnormal delay in patients getting clinical reports for diagnosis and also treatment at the hospital. District Collector Vakati Karuna held a review meeting recently with the heads of all departments and sanitation staff in the hospital and warned them that action would be taken if they did not adhere to the duty chart. In 2005, the MGM Hospital was upgraded from 690 beds to 1,000.

The then Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, had allocated adequate funds and declared it a superspecialty hospital. Shortage of speciality doctors and paramedical staff is said to be the major problem at the hospital. The superspecialty wing is on the verge of closure as doctors who just completed post-graduation are managing the wing. There is no separate building for superspecialty care and it is housed in the old building.

The Hospital Development Committee (HDC) has made no attempt to get adequate infrastructure. The superspecialty wing needs specialised doctors in neurology, nephrology, oncology, in addition to cardio therapy surgeon (C T surgeon), vascular surgeon, gastroenterology and plastic surgeons. Patients from north Telangana districts and from neighbouring States visit the hospital hoping for better treatment. But, they are facing lot of hardships due to lack of minimum facilities.

Every day, approximately 2,000 out-patients and 500 in-patients undergo treatment in various wards, including general medicine, surgery, ENT and dental. Poor facilities and non-availability of doctors at the orthopaedic department are putting the patients to untold hardships. Surprisingly, patients visiting the orthopaedic department are being advised by the government doctors to approach corporate hospitals to avail Arogyasri scheme.

According to estimates, MGM Hospital is in dire need of 300 paramedical staff and 100 doctors. The hospital also requires doctors for the superspecialty wing and specialists for HIV/AIDS treatment, dermatology and psychiatric departments. MGM Hospital superintendent Dr K Karunakar Reddy said, “We are not getting UGC funds to pay salaries to the doctors. We are unable to question them for not attending duties in time. Ultimately, the patients are the sufferers.”

Katukoju Ramesh, an attendant at the burns ward, said that a dermatologist is treating the patients in the absence of a plastic surgeon. A long list of doctors is displayed on the walls, but in reality, there is no sufficient number of doctors and surgeons. Poor patients are in a predicament as they can neither stay in the hospital without proper treatment nor can they approach private doctors due to financial constraints.