MADURAI: The doctors at Vadipatti Government Hospital, after administering first aid, have been immediately referring, without treatment, a majority of the accident and emergency cases to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai, alleged several villagers from Vadipatti taluk. They further claimed that only one doctor was on duty at night to attend to emergency or accident cases, the latter occurring often as the taluk is located closer to the Dindigul-Madurai National Highway.
Raghunathan, a villager from the taluk, said, "Surgeries and treatment are not performed for accident victims at the hospital, and the patients are immediately referred to the GRH, which is 26 kilometres away from the hospital. As the taluk is located near the NH, sometimes, patients who had sustained serious injuries are brought to the Vadipatti hospital, but they are immediately referred to the GRH after the first aid procedure," adding that hundreds of patients visit the hospital every day.
Echoing the same, former panchayat president of C Pudur, K M Pandurangan, said, "There are over 2,500 people in our village and the panchayat is located along the highway. Though there are service lanes, many villagers, especially bikers, are involved in accidents."
The 3.2-acre healthcare institution at Vadipatti houses a maternity ward, X-ray facility and the like, however, lacks specialty wards. Citing the same, an official from the GH said, "Since there aren't any specialty wards such as neurology and orthopedics, we have just one duty doctor allocated to handle emergency cases and administer first aid. We don't have CT scan equipment or an intensive care unit to treat serious head injuries and fractures. We are forced to refer cases to the GRH, however, it is done only after efforts are made by the doctors to ensure the safety of the patients." The official added that there are six doctors on duty for outpatient services from 8 am to 1.30 pm at the hospital and the staff are equipped to handle even non-venomous snake bite cases.