Being a facility that treats the highest number of outpatients in the State, the Government General Hospital in Kakinada faces shortage of paramedical staff. Aged buildings, leaking roofs and seepages in the walls too pose a challenge, as there is a need to rebuild most parts of the hospital. Patients coming from different parts of East and West Godavari districts waiting patiently for their turn in the long queues at the OP block is a common on any given day.
On an average, 3,000 outpatients visit the hospital every day and on some days, the number touches 4,000. Similar is the case with the inpatients too, where the number of patients is much above the number of beds. As a result, many patients are forced to share the bed with others in the general wards. Long wait in queue is the major complaint from the outpatients, who reach the hospital from faraway places much ahead of the commencement of the OP department scheduled at 10 a.m.
“The queue moves at a snail’s pace. Since private hospitals are expensive, we are left with no option but to take the pain of reaching here and wait in the queue,” says Bala Satyaveni, a resident of Sankhavaram, who is frequent visitor to the OP department. Though the OP wing is supposed to be closed by noon, it works up to 1 p.m. to clear the rush. “Sometimes, our doctors work till 3 p.m. in the OP department to ensure that all patients are attended to,” says M. Raghavendra Rao, Superintendent of the GGH.
The sanctioned bed strength is 1,065 in the hospital, in addition to the 750 beds in the Intensive Care Unit. But, the occupancy is anything between 2,000 and 2,200. “We can’t deny admission to any patient who requires treatment. Hence, there is no option but to make some adjustments in the allocation of beds,” Dr. Rao explains.
Dilapidated buildings
Except two blocks that were added to the hospital in the last decade, the rest of the buildings are aged and some of them are on the verge of collapse. Complaints of leakages and seepages are common and the same has turned into a major obstacle to maintain proper sanitation. The issue, however, has been brought to the notice of the State government, which, in turn, has appointed a committee to chalk out a plan for the reconstruction. The committee advised the government to build three blocks, each consisting of ground plus eight floors so that the future needs of the patients could be addressed.
“The funds are expected to be released in the next financial year. Appointment of nurses and a few doctors is also under the close consideration of the Health Minister. We are trying to render our best to the patients by using the available infrastructure and facilities,” says Dr. Rao.