HYDERABAD: Emergency services at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital in Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) limits have been lying defunct for the last six months. The hospital, rebuilt after demolishing a British-era dispensary, is well-equipped in terms of infrastructure and was inaugurated by the then Defence minister Manohar Parrikar in 2015.
To say the least, the hospital, apart from the out-patient facility, has departments of Gynecology, Ophthalmology, ENT, Radiology, Neurology, Orthopaedic, Physiotherapy and 24-hours emergency service. While a total of 300 out-patients visit it on any average day, the hospital functions only between 9 am and 2pm. Emergency cases are referred to Gandhi hospital or any other private hospital.
Of the total sanctioned 20 doctors, only four are currently working at the hospital. Moreover, the labs have no technicians and the patients are left with no other option but to go to private labs for tests. Ironically, the hospital doesn’t have a single ambulance at its disposal even though there’s no government hospital in a 20-km radius.
S Sunitha, a pregnant woman who visited the hospital on Tuesday, said she came here for regular checkups.
“The doctors are asking me to go to a private hospital for delivery. But we can’t afford such money,” she said.
Another patient D Kamalamma, a resident of Bollaram, recalled that emergency services used to be functional before the old hospital was demolished and rebuilt. “Even for blood tests they send patients to private labs,” she lamented.
On their part, SCB officials claim that they have been requesting the State government to allocate doctors and staff for the hospital.
Speaking to Express, K Manjula Rani, superintendent of the hospital, said that only four doctors are available for duty any given day. “We have good infrastructure and equipment, but there is a dearth of staff. For example, if any emergency delivery cases comes to the hospital, we send the expecting mothers to Gandhi Hospital as we have no gynaecologist.
Health minister C Laxma Reddy had visited the hospital in September 2017 and promised to provide staff to run maternity and child health services at the hospital. Even KCR kits for delivery cases are not available,” she said.
When contacted, SVR Chandra Sekhar, Chief Executive Officer of SCB, said that there is no budget available to recruit new doctors and staff or run emergency services.
“We have given a proposal to the State government for recruitment of doctors and staff and also payment of their salaries from the government. Within a month’s time, we are hoping for arrival of new doctors and staff,” said Chandra Sekhar.