WARANGAL: What unfolds at MGM Hospital in Warangal is less a logistical lapse and more a telling snapshot of systemic neglect, where even basic stationery is in short supply at the largest state-run facility catering to northern Telangana districts.
Already weighed down by staff shortages and non-functional equipment such as X-ray, lab and 2D echo machines, the hospital has now drawn criticism for the unavailability of even basic stationery. For the past few days, patients have been asked to bring notebooks to record their medical history.
Inside the wards, the strain is hard to miss. In the fever (male) ward, prescriptions for two patients were written on a single sheet, leaving even doctors taken aback. With limited space to document diagnoses and instructions during shift changes, continuity of care has become increasingly difficult.
For attendants, this has become routine. Many say they are now accustomed to purchasing medicines from outside medical shops, while doctors are compelled to ask patients to arrange white paper or notebooks for prescriptions.
Patients and attendants have alleged that despite funds being allocated by the state government through the district administration for hospital maintenance, lakhs of rupees have been misappropriated, questioning how a major hospital in Warangal is unable to provide basic supplies.
However, MGM Hospital Warangal Resident Medical Officer Dr M Ashwin denied any shortage of prescription paper. He said the issue stemmed from a dispute with a stationery supplier and described the reports as false propaganda, adding that the problem had been resolved and required stationery was now being supplied.
Speaking to TNIE, a staff member, requesting anonymity, said, “There are no prescription sheets available for patients. We are using white paper instead. There is also a shortage of discharge cards.”
