Scuffles involving agitated relatives of patients and hospital staff at casualty wards of government hospitals are not unheard of. But the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) has managed to do away with such tussles.
Sit-in-strike
Ever since the casualty ward of RGGGH was revamped under the Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative (TAEI) in January 2018, there have been no scuffles involving agitated relatives of patients and doctors. R. Jayanthi, dean, RGGGH, said that earlier the hospital’s casualty ward witnessed minor as well as major scuffles.
One such incident escalated into a sit-in strike by doctors, she recalled.
“But in the last one year, after the TAEI protocols were rolled out, the casualty ward has witnessed zero incident of scuffles involving relatives of patients and doctors,” she said.
Professionals assaulted
There have been a few instances in which ‘agitated’ relatives of patients, who were brought to the emergency ward, have assaulted medical professionals, recalled a doctor of RGGGH.
“Earlier, we had shortage of manpower. There were two to three doctors before TAEI was implemented. Now, we have 10 doctors and at least 15 staff nurses,” he said.
Team-based resuscitation and three triages that categorise patients has helped.
“Earlier, there was one doctor for resuscitation. Waiting used to agitate the attendants, and they used to yell at the staff. Now, we have more hands, meaning that two to three patients can be resuscitated simultaneously. ” he added.
This also meant a better workspace free from verbal duels and tussles. “We have a better work environment,” he added.