Malappuram: For the past six months, cancer patients at the Government Medical College in Manjeri are being given chemotherapy on the corridor of a general ward under infectious conditions while several beds lie unused in many wards at the same hospital.
The four-bed ‘corridor ward’ is used by an average of eight cancer patients daily. They undergo chemotherapy in between the paediatric and dermatology isolation wards where the chances of infection are high.
According to medical norms, chemotherapy should be given in disinfected rooms. The oncology department ward in the medical college which caters to around 30 patients a day was shut and facilities crippled by authorities six months ago as part of a reshuffling of facilities at the college. The oncology department, which has two doctors and provides chemotherapy and costly cancer medicine free of cost, was part the general hospital for the last seven years until it was upgraded into Medical College four years ago.
After several attempts to catch the attention of the concerned authorities and legislators to this pathetic condition at the hospital went in vain, the doctor in charge of the department of the radiotherapy at the hospital wrote a letter to the director of health services demanding immediate action. However, nothing has done. “There was a 10-bed ward for the patients who undergo chemotherapy at the hospital until six months ago. Now, the patients have to wait for long while the four beds at the corridor are being occupied by others for the chemotherapy,” says Dr Sajithra, Junior Consultant at the department.
The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) has also intervened in the issue. “We have apprised the Director of Health Services about the pathetic situation at the Manjeri Medical College and sought action to resolve the issues immediately. All the concerned authorities, including local legislators who made big promises earlier, have ignored the issue,” says Dr K.A. Rauf, state general secretary of the KGMOA. In a last ditch effort, the doctors have decided to meet the health minister K.K Shylaja who would reach the Medical College on Saturday for a programme.
Meanwhile, the Medical College administration has said that the issue of the ‘corridor ward’ would be resolved soon.
“We have decided to seek permission to make use of at least 10 beds of another unused ward and it will be provided to the cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy,” said Dr K.V. Nandakumar, the superintendent of the MCH.
