Worst care in intensive cases in GB Pant Hospital ; Citizens demands LG's attention

TMI Correspondent

Port Blair, Aug 21: The GB Pant Hospital Port Blair, known for the life savior in the past, is now ghastly turning into life finale stall for the patients, especially, who suffers with neurological and cardio-logical illnesses in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Some diseased family members, who have observed in the recent past, say that, "Patients who are entering into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the GB Pant Hospital may denote as a finale of life. Neither patients' attenders are allowed nor are the duty staffs keeping eye on patients in the ICU to maintain proper communication or status about the patient, negligently. The doctors used to assure the diseased family members as 'wait 2-days', 'patient will be alright', 'need not to refer mainland hospital, he will be alright here only', but one have to meet terrible end in many cases, finally".

"The doctors too least bother to refer such patients immediately to mainland hospital, despite readily available GoI's schemes to save the lives of islander patients", they added.

Some citizens of Dollygunj said, "The health history of A&N Islands yells, the nonexistence of proper Neurologist in the GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair has already taken many young lives and continues till now, is it not a shame on the health sector of our islands? Moreover, corruption issue of crores worth medicines allegedly by previous Head of Health Department has added black-crown to the infamy".

They further said, "Even the medicines are seen unavailable at the Medicine issuing Counter in GB Pant Hospital and date expired pills also find issued many times, when asked to pharmacist about expiry of medicine, in reply they says, 'just one month is not a big issue! Medicine will work!'.

Citizens of Aberdeen village says, that "the introducing of Andaman Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) is good for the islands, but it is also necessary to take care of, as not to effect the GB Pant patients improperly and may not be used our islands' patients as all time guinea-pigs for them. Hence, the attention of Lt. Governor is required to set right all the issues, is need of the hour".

Speaking to this correspondent Director (Directorate of Health Services), Dr. S.P. Burma said, "I have given the directions to the respective doctors to refer patients to mainland hospital in serious cases after proper monitoring in the ICU, but in rare cases meeting such ends".

"There is no permanent specialist posts created for Cardiologists or Neurologists in the Health Department, in the next 5 years plan we are likely to create posts. However, Cardiologists, Neurologists are coming once in every month to GB Pant Hospital to provide services. Near about 45 specialist posts are vacant in the Health Department, against the recent vacancy notice of specialists hardly anybody responded. It has been observed that, nobody interested to come here in the islands due to lifestyle or may be other reasons", he added.

On the expiry medicine issue, Dr. Burma said, "Due to computerized date mentioned on the pills cover, which sometimes create confusion among patients about date and month, we are taking proper care of it. In views of the patients pouring in the Hospital now, in 10 years we may hope for all facilities with specialists will be available in the GB Pant Hospital Port Blair".

However, the variation between the views of patients and head of the department hits that, the intervention of Lt. Governor is required to set right all the issues, is the need of the hour in the health sector of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.