Activists flagged the recent issue of two pregnant women being carried on a single stretcher at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. They cited insufficient health workers and insensitiveness of the existing workers as the reason for such dangerous acts.
Veronica Mary, Madurai-based health activist, who witnessed the scene at GRH, said that two pregnant women with cardiac issues, while being taken from the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) ward to the cardiac ward, were made to sit on the same stretcher.
“As the stretcher could not be pushed by the woman health worker, the patients’ relatives pushed the stretcher on the bumpy road. Their act without understanding the seriousness could have resulted in danger to the pregnant women,” Ms. Mary said.
She added that it was not a single incident, but it was repeating every day. This should be linked to the insufficient number of health workers deployed at GRH.
“When GRH had 3,000 beds in 2020, about 700 health workers were outsourced, but now as the bed facility was increased to 4,200, the health workers strength has not been increased proportionately,” she noted.
Taking note of the increase in the number of patients every single day, the workers’ strength should be increased to cater to the needs of the hospital, Ms. Mary noted.
GRH Dean C. Dharmaraj, speaking on the issue, said the worker who was involved in this incident, was suspended and transferred.
He said that an inquiry into the matter was ordered and the nursing superintendent was given instructions to prevent such incidents in the future.
Commenting on the action taken by the officials on the woman health worker, C. Anand Raj, health rights activist, said that the suspension was to dilute the issue of insufficient number of workers in the hospital.
“Anyone who observes any ward in the hospital knows how long it takes for a patient to be transferred to a different ward, particularly in the Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative (TAEI) ward. Instead of taking constructive steps to increase the work strength, such disciplinary actions will only further the issue, he added.
Published - July 08, 2024 06:45 pm IST
