Southern States - Kerala

SHRC chief decries General hospital condition

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI JUNE 21. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chairman, M. M. Pareeth Pilla, has decried the lack of facilities and the pathetic condition of the Ernakulam General Hospital.

In a surprise visit today, Mr. Pareeth Pilla walked down the wards of the General Hospital taking account of the facilities first hand.

The ill-lit labour room and the operation theatre where 400 deliveries are facilitated including four-five Caesarean operations every day, came under his scrutiny. The SHRC chairman pointed out the torn beds which had the cotton coming out at various places.

Acute water shortage at the General Hospital, where there is only one main supply, was pointed out by the hospital staff themselves. He commented that taps were in a decrepit condition and the toilet facilities were extremely poor. Water supply to these places is terrible, making the SHRC chairman remark that the basic amenities are missing at a hospital which has over 500 outpatients every day.

Taking in the complaints of the patients, he noted that the hospital dispensary is ill-equipped. Most of the medicines have to be bought from outside, said the people attending to patients.

The disgusting condition of the hospital canteen did not escape his eyes. He noted that not just the people coming to the hospital even the hospital staff tried to avoid taking food from there. Mr. Pareeth Pilla wanted to know from the Hospital Development Committee about the activist Nawab Rajendran's sponsorship of a mortuary, which is in a pathetic condition in the hospital.

He said that he would recommend to the State Government about increasing the incentive to at least Rs. 500 for those who have adopted family planning programmes like vasectomy. There has been no change to the Rs. 140 given as incentive for a long time. Even this amount has not been given by the hospital for the last 5 years.

He noted that there is no grievance cell for patients and there is also no full time public relations officer at the hospital. Mr. Pareeth Pilla said that he had initiated this inquiry on the basis of press reports.

Mallika, in charge of family planning and public relations, secretary Sukumaran, and Consumer Guidance Society president, T. Balachandran, accompanied the SHRC chairman during the hospital visit which lasted about 4 hours.

Mr. Pareeth Pilla asked the Medical Superintendent of the General Hospital, M. K. Sushama, to make a report about the lack of facilities in the hospital and present it to him.

According to Dr. Sushama, the hospital has not been getting any aid from the Government to improve facilities.

The SHRC chairman said that he was not inquiring into the issue of the assault on the corruption-tainted doctor, Jameela Beevi, at the General Hospital some time ago since he had not received any formal complaint. He said he would be recommending to the State Government to take immediate steps to run the emergency services of the hospital.

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