Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Jan 8: The patients visiting the Ladakh’s premier health institution Sonam Norboo Memorial (SNM) Hospital have to face manifold problems due to shortage of staff and absence of round the clock fair price shop.
During winter, about 500 OPD patients are handled in this hospital daily by the limited staff which grows to 1000 during peak tourist season in summer with tourists facing altitude sickness reporting between 6 pm to 10 pm.
Situation goes worst when there is outbreak besides constant fear of swine flu and other communicable diseases requiring isolation treatment. This keeps the limited staff on their toes facing workload burden, yet they are helpless left with no other option but to bear the burden.
Due to staff shortage, the hospital cannot afford to provide special room service to patients willing to pay any cost although hospital has enough newly built infrastructures to provide such facility to patients during treatment.
Apart from the staff shortage issue, the another big challenge is non-availability of drugs during odd hours thus hospital desperately needs a fair price shop within its premises to provide round the clock services to the patients.
Responding to the queries, SNM Hospital Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Tsering Angchok Katpa said that SNM has good infrastructure but shortage of drugs and staff is the biggest hurdle during the course of treatment. He said there is urgent need of round the clock chemist shop within the hospital to function 24 hours to provide all kinds of drugs on concessional rates.
No doubt, SNM Hospital is catering to the needs of the people against all odds, but it special attention of the concerned authorities in appointing the required staff and opening of 24 hours fair price shops in the hospital.
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