TENKASI: With just 47 sanctioned doctor posts to treat 1,800 outpatients and 480 inpatients daily at the Tenkasi District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH), patients and doctors have demanded an increase in the number.
Doctors who wished anonymity told the TNIE that due to a lack of specialists, the hospital is forced to refer patients to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH). “Former chief minister M Karunanidhi had shifted the GHQH to its current location and converted it into a 100-bedded facility in 2000 when there were only a few hundred OPs. Now, as the number of beds in the hospital has increased to 557, the number of OPs has also increased to 1,800. With just a few doctor posts, the quality of treatment has been affected, and GHQH has turned into a referral centre. Instead of 120 doctors, we have only 47, and out of that, only 25-28 doctors are available on duty after accounting for weekly offs, leave, 24-hour duty off and court duty.”
A former superintendent of GHQH said that the hospital has 75 nurses instead of 300 and 60 hospital workers instead of 200. When GHQH had 257 beds, 54 contract workers were provided.”
He added, “With no super specialists, including neurologists, urologists, and oncologists, patients from Tenkasi are referred to TvMCH. Even the newly created GHQHs in Tamil Nadu are allotted 120 doctors. Tenkasi, which does not have a medical college, is neglected. Political parties, MLAs, and MPs do not care about this district.”
Issues faced by CEmONC doctors
The Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) centre, which handles around 280 deliveries a month, has just six doctors. Of them, one is on maternity leave and another is on medical leave.When contacted by TNIE, a GHQH administrator said a request had been sent to the Health Department demanding more doctors.