WARANGAL: The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital in Warangal is reportedly grappling with a shortage of medicines and technicians, and its diagnostic centre is largely dysfunctional. Reportedly, a lack of an adequate number of female staffers in the ECG wing is forcing male technicians to conduct ECGs on female patients. It is learnt that patients suffering from kidney ailments wait for long hours to get dialysis due to a shortage of technicians.
Meanwhile, doctors at the hospital are referring patients for tests to private labs as the diagnostic centre inside the hospital does not have functional equipment. Sources said that the complete blood count (CBC) machine is under repair in the hospital, and reportedly, technicians from private laboratories are camping inside the hospital, waiting to collect samples from patients for testing and charging higher prices.
T Ilaiah, a patient, said that his blood sample was collected by private technicians for testing outside the hospital because it could not be tested inside the hospital’s diagnostic centre. “While the government spends crores of rupees on constructing super specialty hospitals, the budget allocated for medicine and equipment repairs for MGM Hospital is insufficient for patient needs,” he alleged.
Speaking to TNIE, MGM Hospital Superintendent Dr. V. Chandrashekhar said that the haematology analyzer is in working condition; however, due to a shortage of reagents, tests are being delayed. He also mentioned that all departmental staff and technicians are working as usual, and there are no disturbances in providing services.
The hospital is the largest government hospital in northern Telangana, serving patients from six districts, and Warangal is proposed to be the next medical hub in the state following Hyderabad. Patients of lower and middle-income groups rely on the hospital for crucial and affordable medical care.