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No beds, women lie on Thane hospital floor
Vrushali Kasbekar, 33, cannot forget the ordeal she had to undergo during her delivery at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa a month ago.
Vrushali Kasbekar, 33, cannot forget the ordeal she had to undergo during her delivery at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa a month ago.
Instead of dreading the labour pains, she was appalled at the state of the maternity ward in the civic body-run hospital.
Kasbekar, a resident of Kharegaon, said, “I had registered in a private hospital for delivery. Due to an emergency situation a month ago, I had to get myself admitted to Kalwa hospital. The hospital did not have any bed and asked me to sleep on the floor of the delivery ward. Only a stained plastic sheet was spread on the floor. One more woman was already sleeping on the floor.”Kasbekar said some beds are occupied by two women. With only two fans in the ward, it becomes stuffy.
“The ward had four beds and two of us were told to sleep on the floor. My blood samples were collected while I was lying on the floor. It was uncomfortable, cold and nauseating to sleep on an unclean and unhygienic floor,” said Kasbekar.
“The hospital staff said I would have to undergo a C-section. After operation, the ward had no nurses. When my family wasn’t around, I had to change my own sanitary napkins and clothes,” said Kasbekar.
Women sleeping on the floor is a common sight at Kalwa hospital.
Several women, who were admitted to the hospital for delivery, have complained about the pathetic condition they had to endure in hospital.
The hospital authorities have blamed it on scarcity of beds. The number of patients admitted for delivery every day is more than the beds, said hospital authorities.
Pramila Pandey, 31, said she was not provided a bed initially. “There was no bed available for some time. However, my family had carried rugs. Although I got a bed later, I was asked to leave on the third day of Caesarian Section as they wanted the bed for other patients. Many women were made to sit on the floor in the delivery ward and were uncomfortable.”
Another woman who delivered recently, who did not wish to be named, said, “The ward is cramped most of the time. Three women with their babies are given one bed. Post-surgery, doctors ask us to sleep on the floor, which is uncomfortable. But, we have no option. The floor is unclean and chances of getting infected are more.”
The hospital authorities said lack of beds has led to this situation. Around 10,000 pregnant women are registered in the hospital every year, out of which, 7,000 pregnancies take place in the hospital.
The overcrowded hospital has also put up a board, informing patients that there are no vacant beds for pregnant women.
Rajeev Korde, medical superintendent at the hospital, said, “At times, we have to ask patients to sleep on the floor as there are no vacant beds. There are 40 beds in the five maternity wards and 70 patients are admitted every day. There are only four beds in the labour room. Increasing the beds is not an option as we do not have sufficient staff to look after patients.” The hospital has 650 employees, both medical and non-medical staff.
He said there patients from Kalyan, Ambernath, Shahpur, Dombivli and Bhiwandi come to the hospital.
“If the government improves the hospital facilities in these areas, our load will decrease,” he added.
