THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Naresh (name changed) admitted his father who had met with an accident at the ESI Hospital, Peroorkada, a few months ago. A rod was inserted into his father’s leg to rectify the fracture. After four months, hospital authorities informed Naresh that a screw attached to the rod had to be removed. However, upon opening the wound, doctors informed Naresh that the screw cannot be removed due to further issues. “This surgery could have been avoided had the doctor prescribed an X-ray before the surgery,” he said. Right after the second surgery, the wound became infected.
This is not an isolated case. Radhakrishnan (name changed) was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection from the hospital only to consult another hospital and realise that he had rectal cancer. Along with the inefficiency of doctors, inpatients at the hospital feel the facilities are inadequate and unhygienic. “I questioned the hospital authorities about a pair of rusted scissors I saw at the hospital. They replied that the equipment was sterilised. Unhygienic toilets in the hospital wards is another source for infection,” Naresh said.
The shortage of medicines is another complaint raised by patients. “The druggist often says that the required medicines are out of stock,” said Radhakrishnan. Authorities claim that medicines take a while to arrive even after the submission of a request letter for the same. Dr Suganthi Gopinath, medical superintendent of the hospital, said that they had less number of cleaning staff but denied the complaints citing unhygienic premises.