*Forced to move from one hospital to other
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 6: The Chest Diseases patients have been suffering immensely due to ill-conceived decisions of the previous administration of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu during COVID-19 pandemic as to get consultation, diagnosis and treatment, they are being forced to move from one hospital to other.
Official sources said that in the month of March this year after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government had declared CD Hospital Jammu as Level-2 COVID Hospital, following which the OPD of CD patients were shifted to GMC Jammu and the IPD was shifted to SSH Jammu.
“Earlier, like other OPDs, the OPD service of Chest Diseases also remained closed for around a month, during which many patients could not get proper consultation, diagnosis as well as treatment,” sources said, adding, in their efforts to control the Corona pandemic, the authorities of Health & Medical Education Department as well as previous GMCH Jammu administration completely ignored the Chest Diseases patients, particularly those infected with TB (tuberculosis).
Due to restrictions on public transport, the poor TB people suffered the most as many could not get required medicines to be provided at Government facilities but the suffering of the Chest Diseases, particularly poor has further increased by ill-conceived decisions of the previous GMCH administration, which shifted the IPD patients from GMC to Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar.
Sources said that poor Chest Diseases patients who do not have their own conveyance are suffering the most for consultation they have to go to OPD in GMC, for diagnosis of TB at CD Hospital and then for admission to Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar, which is quite far away from first two hospitals.
They said when the IPD was in SSH Jammu, Chest Diseases patients were getting quick response and attention in case of need of Cardiothoracic Intervention (CTVS) as both (Chest Diseases and CTVS) wards were side by side but the now patients are getting delayed diagnosis and treatment as they have to move from one hospital to another for different facilities.
Moreover, there is no TB testing facility at Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar as the existing centre was shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital Gangyal, few months back. Sources said while all the OPDs that were earlier shifted from Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, have been restored at their original place, authorities have yet to restore TB testing facilitiy at Gandhi Nagar Hospital.
Sources further regretted that there are no separate wards for open cases of TB and MDR TB patients which puts other patients and attendants, besides hospital staff at undue risk. They suggested that till the CD Hospital is designated COVID Hospital, Chest Diseases patients can be shifted either to some ward in GMC or back to SSH Jammu so that they may get timely diagnostic and treatment facilities without much botheration.
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