With 7,000 deaths every year, PGIMS cries for special care
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science (PGIMS), Rohtak, which faced severe criticism for negligence in treatment of former Haryana chief minister Hukum Singh and, more recently, that of Neelam, wife of a Jind-based Dalit labourer, is reeling under lack of infrastructure and shortage of staff.
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science (PGIMS), Rohtak, which faced severe criticism for negligence in treatment of former Haryana chief minister Hukum Singh and, more recently, that of Neelam, wife of a Jind-based Dalit labourer, is reeling under lack of infrastructure and shortage of staff.
Even as around 7,000 patients (20 per day) die on the beds of this premier health institute every year, the state health department is not doing much to address the problems faced by it.
As per the statistics sheet of the PGIMS, accessed by Hindustan Times, the number of deaths occurring in the hospital every year ranges between 6,700 and 6,900 while around 13.5 lakh patients come there for treatment.
The per day average of patients comes to about 3,600, out of 250 get admitted to the hospital every day.
Similarly, the number of indoor patients is also higher than the capacity of the hospital. The number of patients that get admitted to the hospital every year ranges between 95,000 to 99,000.
The bed occupancy of the hospital never came down below 90% in the past 10 years, whereas sometimes it even reaches to 105%, forcing the doctors to adjust two or more patients on one bed. Most of the patients stay in the hospital for more than five days.
Also, the surgeons in the hospital are hard pressed as 90 to 95 major operations and 300 to 350 minor ones are conducted in the hospital every day, which include 20 to 25 deliveries in the labour room which has only 8 beds.
Though the state health department has taken several steps to tighten its noose around the doctors and staff members, nothing is being done to improve the infrastructure or increase the staff as against the increasing number of patients.
“The number of patients (per day) has increased from 3,124 in 2002 to 5,857 now. How can we manage this institute in which so many patients along with three-four attendants reach every day,” said a senior officer of the PGIMS, requesting anonymity.
“We cannot provide quality treatment until we have enough doctors, nurses, beds and other infrastructure”, he said.
“A doctor may get irritated if attendants of more than 20 patients call him/her to see their relatives repeatedly,” he added.
During his maiden press conference recently, PGIMS director, who has already offered to resign citing personal reasons, also raised the issue of shortage of staff and infrastructure as per the patients.
“My knees can bear weight of 70kg, what will happen if I put 170kg on it”, said a senior officer of the institute sitting next to the director while adding, “We had made repeated requests to the health department already to address our problems”.
The issues of infrastructure and staff were raised bt the PGIMS authorities before director, medical education, Pardeep Kani, but the senior doctors are not quite sure whether the government would take steps to improve facilities as per demands at this institute.