COIMBATORE: Three battery-operated vehicles, including two with stretcher facilities, meant to transport elderly and critically ill patients across the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) campus, have remained idle due to an alleged shortage of manpower.
Hospital staff said CMCH has five battery-operated vehicles, of which two are specially designed with stretcher facilities to transport patients who are unable to sit in wheelchairs. These vehicles can enter hospital buildings and reach wards through ramps, providing doorstep transport for patients with severe mobility issues.
However, three vehicles, including the two stretcher-equipped carts, are currently parked inside the newly constructed super-speciality block and remain unused. At present, only two such vehicles are operational. These ferry patients and attendants from the hospital entrance to the entrances of various blocks, and each vehicle can carry up to seven passengers.
Staff associated with the service said the issue is due to shortage of manpower.
They said that at least 10 drivers are required to operate all five vehicles in two shifts during the daytime, particularly until around 1 pm when the hospital records a heavy inflow of outpatients. As per the hospital authorities, over 4,000 people visit the hospital on a daily basis for treatment.
The staff further claimed that even the two vehicles currently in service are not being operated by trained drivers. One is driven by a housekeeping employee, while the other is operated by a security guard employed by the private agency that manages security, housekeeping and battery-operated vehicle services at CMCH.
"The CMCH campus has an internal road network of nearly one kilometre connecting various departments. Patients visiting facilities such as the paediatric and cancer departments have to walk nearly 700 metres from the main entrance. Since private vehicles are prohibited inside the hospital premises, the administration should ensure that all the battery-operated vehicles are put into service for the benefit of patients," said K Muniyappan, a patient at the hospital.
However, the hospital management denied the claims and said the vehicles were stopped recently due to minor faults such as punctured tires, and not due to manpower shortage. They also said that the private firm can hire staff only for housekeeping and security services. “Among them, a few who know driving were assigned to handle the vehicles. The government is not allowing the hiring of dedicated drivers for such vehicles," said a senior official from the hospital.