JANGAON: The decades-old 130-bed Jangaon Government Hospital is grappling with a severe shortage of medical equipment, leading to delays in patient treatment.
The absence of essential machinery is hampering the hospital’s ability to provide timely and effective care to patients.
Patients from Jangaon, Station Ghanpur, Alair, and other constituencies rely on the Jangaon District Government Hospital for treatment. However, the hospital is struggling to conduct critical examinations such as 2D echocardiograms, endoscopic procedures, and laparoscopy tests.
This lack of facilities has forced middle-class and low-income patients to seek diagnostic tests at private centres, which is imposing a significant financial burden on them. Economically disadvantaged patients, who cannot afford private healthcare, are left with limited options.
For instance, patients requiring nose surgery are unable to receive treatment at the hospital due to the unavailability of an endoscopy unit. Doctors have been referring such cases to MGM Hospital in Warangal for surgery. Similarly, patients arriving for 2D echocardiogram tests are often turned away due to a lack of staff to conduct the tests.
Despite these challenges, the Jangaon Government Area Hospital, now functioning as a teaching hospital, continues to serve a large number of patients. It treats approximately 450 to 500 outpatients daily and provides inpatient (IP) services across its 130 beds.
When contacted, an official from the Jangaon Government Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, told TNIE that the hospital has already requested funds from the Telangana State Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGMIDC) to address the equipment shortage.
The official confirmed that a new CT scan machine has been sanctioned and will soon be installed. However, while the hospital has a 2D echocardiogram machine, it lacks cardiology staff to operate it.
The official also highlighted the hospital’s infrastructural challenges. The teaching hospital operates from a cramped two-acre premises, which is insufficient to accommodate all necessary services. The official emphasized that at least 20 acres of land are required to expand and improve the hospital’s facilities.