Pulmonary unit to stop admissions

GGH block in dilapidated condition

Vijayawada: The Pulmonary Medicine Department at the old government hospital building in the capital city is showing nightmares to the staff and patients. The building is completely ruined and lacked sanitation. Though the ceilings are patched up to stop the leaks, the building is in dilapidated state and still accommodates patients. In a recent mishap, a patch of the ceiling collapsed on a patient who survived with minor injuries. After this incident, the officials are now thinking of stopping further admission of patients into the block.

Patients suffering with tuberculosis, pneumonia, asthma and other lung disorders come for treatment at pulmonary block in old GGH. As the treatment done in the first floor of the block, the patients need an access to ramp or a lift. Surprisingly, both the ramp and the lift are not available. The patients have to climb up by using stair, which makes their condition critical. There were cases wherein the patients lost their lives after climbing the steps due to the breathing problem.

Superintendent of government hospital M Jaganmohan Reddy said that infrastructure need to be developed and it might not happen in a day. “There are many problems persisting in this block including the lifts, ramp, drainage and the structure of the building itself. We are planning to shift the block or repair the existing building.”

He advised the senior doctors not to admit patients. The Superintendent and other medical officers visited the pulmonary block to examine the infrastructure of the building. By now, the pulmonary medicine block would have been shifted to the new government hospital in the city.

The higher officials of the health ministry instructed the Superintendent to take action and shift it as soon as possible. Principal Secretary of Health Poonam Malakondaiah also expressed the same view during her inspection in April. But the head of the department and medical officers are constrained to partial repairs of the building.

On Friday night, the building ceiling partly collapsed on an in-patient who luckily survived. The very next day, similar incident occurred on the other end of the floor.

“Though treatment offered here is very nice, the infrastructure is very poor. The hospital has become very old and is ready to collapse at any moment. The saddest part is that there is only one toilet for both male and female patients and that too in a worst jammed condition,” said E Nagendramma, an in-patient.

The drainage system is completely collapsed and cannot be rebuilt or repaired. The drainage problem is pertaining from over two years. “The block is in dilapidated condition posing threat to patients and medical staff. But the officials are not bothered to improve the conditions,” said a health inspector who came on a visit.

“The hospital gives goose bumps during night hours and is completely ruined. We are scared to go for rounds in the block as the ceiling can collapse at any time,” said a house-surgeon of the department.

The Chief Engineer has come for inspection of the building many times and also stated that the building is unfit to stay. As the engineer didn’t give a report officially, the process of shifting is being delayed, said an official of the hospital.

Kiranmai Tutika