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Patients left in lurch as key services out of order at ADH
Patients and their kin visiting Aundh District Hospital are facing severe hardships as several key services remain non-functional for months
PUNE: Patients and their kin visiting Aundh District Hospital (ADH) are facing severe hardships as several key services remain non-functional for months, exposing yawning gaps in the city’s public health system, officials said.
ADH is considered the tertiary care facility of the public health department in the district and patients from all across the district visit the hospital. To begin with, the hospital mortuary has been out-of-order for nearly a month, forcing bereaved families to ferry the bodies of their loved ones to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) or Sassoon General Hospital, both of which face frequent space shortages. ADH has a six-unit mortuary facility of which, four units have been out-of-order and two defunct for over a month now, leaving grieving families to their own devices.
Furthermore, the MRI centre remains completely closed since last year even as there is a long waiting list for intensive care unit (ICU) beds. Patients have alleged that they are routinely referred to SGH due to non-availability of doctors/facilities. Even the solar power system installed at the premises is lying idle due to lack of net metering, officials said.
MLA Shankar Jagtap, who carried out a surprise inspection on Wednesday, voiced frustration over the conditions. “What I saw was shocking. The health system here has been completely neglected. The MRI centre is closed; the mortuary is shut; and there is a severe shortage of doctors. The entire hospital is virtually on a ventilator,” he said.
Jagtap further said that ADH is the main healthcare centre for Pune district and gets a large number of patients daily because of its affordable services. “I had received many complaints but the reality is worse than what I expected. Unhygienic conditions, broken seating arrangements and filth were visible everywhere. Even in the ICU, safety protocols were not being followed,” he said.
A now-deceased patient’s relative recalled his ordeal. “We were turned away from the mortuary and asked to go to Sassoon or YCMH with the body. Both hospitals were crowded, and we had to wait for hours,” he said.
Hospital sources admitted that staff shortage and equipment breakdowns are affecting services. “The doctors’ attendance is not as per norms and many posts are vacant, which increases referrals. The mortuary has been non-functional due to defective compressors,” an official said on request of anonymity.
Jagtap has directed the administration to immediately restore the mortuary and MRI services, and improve sanitation. “No patient should return without treatment. I will pursue this matter with the state government until such time the hospital begins functioning properly.”
Despite repeated attempts, Dr Nagnath Yempalle, district civil surgeon and head of ADH, could not be reached for comment.
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, deputy director of health services, said, “We are aware of the difficulties being faced by patients and their families and measures will be taken to restore essential services at the earliest. I will look into the problems related to the mortuary, MRI facility and staffing on priority…”
