CHANDIGARH, Jan 9: Patients admitted to the Trauma C ward of the PGI have been left high and dry as the authorities have decided to shift them to Hari Sarai, situated at the back-side of the PGI.Six patients have reportedly been shifted to the sarai since December 17. These patients, mainly with amputated limbs, are finding it difficult to cope at the sarai as there are no medical facilities available.
While the patients usually require the services of doctors which were available at the Trauma C ward, there are no such services at the "sarai". Said Sheeshu Pal, who is "admitted" to the "ward" with an amputated leg: "Patients with amputations need daily dressing. As some of them cannot even walk with the aid of clutches, they have to be carried, which is painful."A doctor only comes to visit the "ward" once or twice a week, and neither are the nurses on duty. "The hospital authorities had promised that dispensary services will be made available but this has not materialised so far," said a relative of a
patient.
But evidently, in the official books, the patients have been written off as discharged. An OPD ward is coming up in place of the Trauma C ward. Says Dr Sen of Orthopaedics Department: "Patients who were either awaiting operations or waiting to be discharged were kept under observation at the Trauma C ward. When needed, the doctors on duty took the required action and normally shifted the patients back to Trauma A. The patients have been officially discharged but were given an option that they could either return to their home or stay at the sarai and come daily to the orthopaedic ward for dressing."
The Medical Superintendent of PGI, A.K. Gupta, however, contradicted this. "A temporary arrangement has been made at the sarai for patients who were earlier admitted to the ward. Doctors are attending and the patients are being kept under observation. They had to be shifted due to shortage of beds," he said.
Meanwhile, patients and relatives lodged at the sarai have been asked to move elsewhere.
Many of these patients are awaiting kidney transplant. However, the relatives of these patients though put to inconvenience, refused to comment on the situation as they did not "want to incur the wrath of the doctors".
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
