Not in the pink of General Health; RGGGH infrastructure needs attention.
Chennai: Swanky buildings welcome patients at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) and the sprawling corridors with the latest medical equipment make you feel that you are in a premier medical institute in the country, but certain scenes and the ambience have not changed at the RGGGH.
Dry drinking water taps, long queue outside toilet, dripping water pipes, patients lying on the floor, serpentine queue to board lifts, people using newspapers to fan themselves are the common scenes that still rules the roost. Though there are no major complaints from the patients on the medical treatment meted out to them, a visit to the hospital revealed lapses in the civic amenities provided to the public.
Though the RO drinking water plant inside the hospital reads ‘cold drinking water’, the taps remain dry throughout the day.
The water scarcity not only affects patients and their attendees, but at times also adds to the medical expenditure.
“We have to pay Rs 5 per litre for drinking water, or we go to the Amma water stall outside the hospital to get water. I have been here for a fortnight, but in spite of repeated requests, the authorities are yet to address the issue”, says Shankar S, attendee of a patient at the hospital.
However, when contacted Dr Narayana Babu, dean, RGGGH, assured that the issues would be discussed in the weekly review meeting. A special team has been formed to monitor the basic amenities and things will improve the top official exuded confidence. On the water shortage issue, the dean emphasised that four new 4 bores have been dug up at the hospital to meet the water needs. We are also purchasing metro water to meet the additional requirements,” he said.
Adding to the agony of visitors, some of the toilets remain closed and the ones that are open remain crowded throughout. When asked about this, a nurse said,
“There is one toilet on the first floor for everyone, some wards also have toilets, but that is only for the patients and their attendees,” the nurse explained.
Patients also find it difficult in using the lifts. “We have to stand in the queue for long as only one of it works,” said K. Pratap, a patient at the hospital. The insufficient seating availability is a long-pending woe of the patients. Some patients can be witnessed lying on the ground, while the out patients rest under the trees or near the parking area.
