AP hospital lacks staff, equipment

Guntur: The Government General Hospital (GGH), Guntur, which is now the main hospital in AP, after the bifurcation of the state, is not up to the mark as far as medical equipment and facilities are concerned. The absence of an MRI unit, poor sanitation, meager staff, insufficient drinking water availability, absence of sufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and the absence of basic amenities have been troubling the patients and the hospital management and staff for long. 

During his visit to the GGH on October 2, 2015, CM N. Chandrababu Naidu  announced a sanction of Rs 4 crore as development funds for GGH but the funds have not been released yet.  

On 18 November 2015, the government issued a GO No. 610 sanctioning Rs 4 crore as Special Development Funds but four months later, on  March 9, 2016, the Rs 4 crore funding was cancelled  by the government through another GO.

The GGH Guntur offers free heart, kidney, knee, liver and other surgeries but the poor amenities and facilities are damaging the image of GGH. 

Even simple health emergencies are not being handled well. On August 26, an infant died due to rat bite. This brought the difficulties of the patients once again into the limelight.

Majority of the buildings of the GGH are very old and the water leakages in the operation theatres have become a source of stress during surgeries conducted therein. 

The poor drainage system of the hospital is causing overflow of sewerage in places, apart from promoting rat and bandicoot burrows in a number of wards. 

A patient, G. Venkata Rao, said that the poor amenities, shortage of beds and doctors have been troubling them.