DHS VISITS ABOHAR CIVIL HOSPITAL THAT HAS PROBLEMS IN PLENTY

Raj Sadosh/Abohar.

Dr. Sunil Bansal, Director, Department of Health and Family Welfare, visited the Civil Hospital today.

During the visit, issues regarding two non-functional deep-freezers in the hospital’s mortuary and a broken ultrasound machine were brought to the DHS’s attention. Dr. Sunil Bansal assured that both problems would be resolved within the next 15 days. He was told that vacancies of specialist doctors at the hospital have not been filled for the past about four years. On this, he stated that the department had already been formally apprised of the matter.

People highlighted that the hospital has lacked a gynaecologist for a long time, the absence of a paediatrician causes immense hardship for parents. There is also no regular anaesthesiologist available at the Civil Hospital, preventing many surgeries from being performed there.

It was also pointed out by locals that poor patients in the area do not receive all types of medicines for free, given that the primary objective of a government hospital is to provide quality medical care to the underprivileged. About 5-6 hundred outdoor patients reach the hospital daily but many of them have to go outside to purchase medicines. Furthermore, the Civil Hospital lacks CT scan and MRI facilities; whenever an accident or emergency case arises, patients are referred elsewhere for these scans, causing them—already in distress—to endure further mental and financial hardship.