With increased patient retention, LD hospital faces crisis like situation
Srinagar: Lalla Ded Hospital is now caught in a quagmire, with patient rush witnessing a surge for last one week as things seem to have become more difficult and tricky especially for doctors.
With administration on toes, the hospital is now taking almost everybody in-those who are referred for genuine reasons, those too, who are being referred ‘unnecessarily’.
Few of the doctors within the hospital, who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity, said that all together a different situation has emerged at the hospital in terms of patient care, which they said, is taking a hard-hit.
“The patient rush seems to have increased post the incident at the hospital; everybody is being taken in, those who are genuinely referred and on top that those who should not have been referred to the tertiary care,” a doctor said preferring anonymity.
It is also being said that the time of patient-doctor interaction has taken a dip, “with increase in patient rush, the time of patient-doctor interaction has also increase, which was already below what it should have been” another doctor said.
“We have to treat everybody equally: those who are in need of treatment go without saying, those who are unnecessarily referred to the hospital are also to be examined, they also consume time and with the result, over-all the patient care takes a hit,” he added.
Medicos are fearful that while an increase in rush has been witnessed, there are chances that doctors may not be able to take care of everybody, especially those who are in need, with the result, such a scenario can increase the chances of what happened last Friday.
“There is a strange fear looming around, like what happened last Friday—so those who are not in need of treatment, consume time, because they are being asked to stay and we will have to take care of them as well,” another doctor said.
“It can result in a situation that those deserving won’t get much attention and God forbid something of Friday’s nature can see a repeat, thinking of that brings down chill down my spine, better to be safe, keep everybody,” she added.
While the government has taken few measures, which are termed as ‘cosmetic,’ to streamline the referrals from the peripheries—post the incident that occurred at LD which resulted in intense public outrage, especially on social media platforms—the effects as of now are nowhere to be seen. The measures taken are said to be proven fruitful in the ‘long run.’
Medical Superintendent, Lalla Ded Hospital, Dr Shabir Siddiqui while talking to this reporter admitted that there has been an increase in the patient rush after the last Friday incident. He said that the hospital administration is doing
whatever is in their hands.
“Yes, there has been an increase in the patient rush witnessed lately, and especially after the unfortunate incident that happened last Friday, but we are on it taking care of everyone,” he said.
When asked if there is any change in the ground situation after the measures that have been taken by the government particularly the guidelines regarding the referrals, Dr Siddiqui said such measures do take time to manifest effects, “measures have been taken, and I am sure that they will be helpful in the long-run, but as of now, the rush has increased,” he said.
In a situation that has become slippery, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital on Thursday also had to write to the GMC in response to the complaint received by the JK Grievance Cell after few photographs were posted on the social media site Twitter, apparently showing the ‘apathy’ of the patients.
The pictures posted also point to an increase in the patient rush, as the MS writes in the response of the PIO, GMC: “A total of 165 in-patient admission and 90 deliveries over 24 hours was witnessed on Monday 21-01-2019 itself. The patient sitting in the labour room are the pregnant women who have been admitted and are waiting for CTG investigation. The beds in the active Laboring Rooms which have 03 beds in one room with almost 02 patents on each bed are all occupied. In a situation where all the beds get occupied the patients are ensured comfort and additional mattresses and seating are arranged as interim relief.”
Irfan Tramboo
