Anantnag, Aug 17: In the Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH), the pregnant woman and newborns are unable to fully reap the benefits of the central sponsored schemes Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSYK) and National Health Mission (NHM).
Under these flagship programmes, the patients are provided essential medicines and several other facilities free of cost.
A medic highlighted that MCCH had been facing shortage of several essential medicines including labour-inducing drugs, forcing the poor patients to purchase them from the open market.
“It has been a while since these drugs were procured under JSSK and NHM schemes,” he said.
A medic said even the disposables and switcher material were not available in the hospital.
“There is also a dearth of surgical instruments and other vital equipment hitting the overall patient care badly,” he said.
Another medic said that the hospital possesses eight delivery sets despite a requirement of at least 20 considering the patient inflow.
Similarly, he said that there were also only two delivery tables when there should have been at least eight.
“Only two suction machines are available which is quite insufficient,” a medic said.
He said that there were only two birthing couches available in the hospital.
“In contrast, the beds for labouring patients should be motorised beds that can be converted to delivery couches too. This will prevent the cumbersome exercise of shifting from bed to trolley or wheelchair and further to delivery couch,” a medic said.
He said that the post-delivery care in the hospital was pathetic.
The medic cited the lack of facilities as the reason for referrals to city hospitals thus overburdening them further.
He said that the transported ventilators, crucial for referral cases, were not available at the hospital either.
“The biochemistry lab’s limitations make doctors hesitant to rely on investigation findings conducted on patients. Consequently, many patients opt for private labs for tests,” the medic said.
He said sterilisation facilities were also inadequate, increasing the risk of cross infections.
In terms of transportation, a medic said that there was no proper pick and drop facility available for pregnant women.
“Often, patients’ attendants are forced to hire cabs to transport patients to and from the hospital,” he said.
The patients also voiced their concerns about not fully benefiting from the schemes designed for their care.
Abdul Rashid, an attendant of a patient from Kokernag, said, “We are forced to purchase drugs and disposable items from the market here.”
He said that many economically disadvantaged families cannot afford to hire cabs for patient transportation.
Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, Dr Anjum Farhana assured of addressing these issues at MCCH.
“I conducted an assessment of the hospital’s facilities and will ensure expecting mothers and newborns receive comprehensive care,” she said.
Dr Farhana said that she was determined to implement all necessary schemes for the patients’ benefit.
However, officials said that all these issues could be addressed only after the hospital is shifted from an old dilapidated building located in the congested Sherbagh locality to the Rehmat-e-Alam hospital building at K P Road.