Honest admission

Instead of blaming patients or going into denial like his counterparts in other hospitals, Dr Amit Banerjee, MS, Lok Nayak Hospital not only acknowledged the problems but also offered to improve the situation. Excerpts from the letter...

Few people like criticism, however constructive. Almost no one likes it when it is done publicly, through the pages of a national daily. That is what made the letter sent by Dr Amit Banerjee, medical superintendent, Lok Nayak Hospital, so special. Instead of blaming patients or going into denial like his counterparts in other hospitals, Dr Banerjee not only acknowledged the problems but also offered to improve the situation. Excerpts from the letter:

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We at Lok Nayak Hospital are deeply touched by the personal tragedy experienced by Ms S. Santoshi (Hindustan Times, November 5). I am personally aware of the fact that this was not an isolated case, and there must be many others who would have faced such unpleasant experience in our hospital.

However, through your esteemed columns, I would like to inform your readers that an extremely sincere effort is currently on to substantially improve services in the hospital.

Undoubtedly, there have been occasions when a patient has been forced to occupy just one-third or even one-fourth of a bed. This situation crops up because of our traditional policy of not sending back any needy patient from our Emergency Department under any circumstances. The same patient when shifted to a ward the next day naturally creates a burden on space. The reason behind this is a serious demand-supply mismatch.

It is our appeal to all to cooperate with the administration in maintaining cleanliness, discipline and order in improving services of the hospital. It will be of great help in accomplishing our task of making the medical services commensurate with any good hospital of this magnitude.