WARANGAL: The Warangal ESI Hospital is struggling to provide basic healthcare services due to shortages of medicines, diagnostic equipment and staff, with emergency services reportedly remaining defunct for months.
The hospital caters to employees and their families from erstwhile Warangal district and patients from several north Telangana districts. However, doctors have stopped admitting emergency patients and are referring them to the ESIC Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital in Hyderabad, forcing some patients to turn to private hospitals.
The expansion of Warangal city and the establishment of more factories have increased the number of beneficiaries, adding to the pressure on the hospital.
Staff shortages have further affected services in several departments.
The hospital has been upgraded to 50 beds and has facilities for gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, orthopaedics and physiotherapy, besides 24-hour emergency services. It is also supposed to provide free medicines and diagnostic services to ESI beneficiaries.
However, patients are reportedly being forced to purchase medicines from private pharmacies due to shortages at the hospital. Around 60 to 80 outpatients visit the hospital every day, but the lack of medicines and diagnostic equipment has affected treatment.
A hospital staff member, who requested anonymity, said medicines and diagnostic equipment were in short supply and doctors were advising patients requiring advanced treatment to approach the ESI hospital in Hyderabad.
The staff member said ESI Hospital Superintendent Dr Kanthi Sagar, who is holding additional charge, visits the hospital once a week. Proposals seeking adequate medicines and equipment have already been submitted to higher authorities, but no response has been received so far, the staff member claimed.
When contacted, Dr Kanthi Sagar was unavailable for comment.
