GUNTUR : According to the latest analysis from Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2021, the number of people living with or dying from neurological conditions such as stroke, dementia and meningitis has risen sharply by 18 per cent over the last 30 years.
In this context, the Department of Neurology at Guntur Government General Hospital has been receiving an overwhelming response from thousands of patients for offering exceptional services and top-notch comfort.
Patients from the neighbouring districts, including Prakasam, Nellore, Krishna, and Eluru have been choosing this facility for various neurological ailments.
Neurology in-charge head of the department Dr Aruna Kumari said, “Guntur GGH Neurology department is the first to receive ISO: 9001 certification among all departments of every State government hospital for providing quality health services in 2018. Since then, the outpatient ward has seen an increase in flow of patients in the past few years as people with neurological issues from other districts also come here.”
As many as 44,491 patients availed OP services, and 1,217 patients availed inpatient services. The department is functioning with 60 beds including two ICUs, three associate professors and 12 PG students. The stroke unit and sleep lab set up in the department, the only such facility in government-run hospitals in the State, has become a boon to the people.
“The stroke unit set up with 10 beds is exclusively for patients suffering with stroke, as providing treatment during golden hour is crucial in the recovery later. NATCO has donated `25 lakh to the GGH Neurology department for the set up of the sleep lab and equipment. The latest Polysomnography (PSG) test which costs over `25,000 in private hospitals is being conducted for patients at free of cost,’’ she added.
However, with the increasing services and patient influx, the shortage of doctors has become a major issue. “We are short of six doctors, as a result, the workload on the remaining doctors is huge. We submitted a letter to higher authorities to recruit the required staff,” Dr Aruna added.