Little room for patients at UHM

WHILE PATIENTS look for accommodation at the Ursala Horsman Memorial Hospital, several rooms, including those in the private wards, have been grabbed. But the occupiers are not land sharks but big shots of the Medical and Health Department. At a time when there is rush of patients at the hospital, the office of the additional director Medical, Health and Family Planning, possess tow rooms. Similarly, more than half-a-dozen rooms, including a few in the private ward, are in the possession of the chief medical officer?s office.

Offices of the AD & CMO occupy hospital space

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WHILE PATIENTS look for accommodation at the Ursala Horsman Memorial Hospital, several rooms, including those in the private wards, have been grabbed. But the occupiers are not land sharks but big shots of the Medical and Health Department.

At a time when there is rush of patients at the hospital, the office of the additional director Medical, Health and Family Planning, possess tow rooms.

Similarly, more than half-a-dozen rooms, including a few in the private ward, are in the possession of the chief medical officer’s office.

These senior officers continue to occupy space in the UHM Hospital despite having well-furnished and spacious offices at the still-to-be-expanded Bhagwan Das Leprosy Hospital at the Ramadevi Crossing.

This is not for the first time that this has happened. In the past, pressure from senior administrative officials of the department had forced both the departments to shift base to the Ramadevi Crossing.

However, while the AD’s office has returned to the UHM Hospital only a few days back, the CMO office continues to occupy both the places. At the Ramadevi Crossing office, the finance section of department is working while the rest of the office job is done on the UHM Hospital Campus.

CMO Dr Vijay Shanker Singh also confirmed that only finance related work was being undertaken at the Ramadevi Crossing office.

While the AD could not be contacted for his comments, the CMO further said the UHM office had been set up keeping in mind the convenience to the common man. Besides, an official at the CMO’s office said as the latter was the chairman of the medical board for the physically challenged, the UHM Hospital office was helpful for such patients.

Since the CMO office has four rooms just adjacent to the main entrance of the hospital, there was no check on the entry of unwanted people on the campus. Several patients admitted in the ground floor corroborated the fact. They said the outsiders created nuisance in the ward as the hospital staff did not have any check on them.

In addition to the AD and CMO’s offices, the medical board office staff has grabbed two rooms in the Munna Lal Private Ward. Similarly, another room in the same ward functioned as a medicine store of the CMO office.

Further, the office of the 20-point programme, which is under the supervision of the CMO, also has a room in Dr Shiv Shanker Misra Private ward. There is also a room for deputy CMO also at the UHM.

The incident of officials occupying so many rooms at the UHM Hospital not only causes inconvenience to patients but also affects the revenue of the hospital.

Principal secretary, Medical, Health and Family Planning, on June 2 has received a complaint about the case of officers occupying hospital rooms. He had been intimated about the situation on two earlier occasions, but senior administrative officials in the State Capital are yet to act.

Chief medical superintendent of the UHM Hospital Dr Ishwar Sharan said the hospital was ready to give two rooms to the CMO office for the medical board, which sits on only once a week.

But till then, those waiting for and undergoing treatment here hope that good sense will finally prevail on the occupiers.