2. Contd..
From the unavailability of life-saving drugs to vacant faculty
posts and poor security , the issues raised by resident
doctors in Delhi expose the chinks in city's health
infrastructure. And despite several assurances, successive
governments have failed to address these issues. At Hindu
Rao, the biggest hospital run by municipal corporation,
sources said all elective procedures had to be postponed
or cancelled for three days this week due to shortage of
water. “The DJB had closed supply for routine cleaning and
now it has been restored,“ said a senior doctor.
At peripheral hospitals such as Baba Ambedkar Hospital in
Rohini and Babu Jagji van Ram Hospital in Jahan girpuri,
the government has appointed super specialists to conduct
heart and brain sur gery but patients are often re ferred to
Lok Nayak hospita for diagnostic facilities or un availability
of anesthetist.
3. Contd..
“They need to be operated immediately but we have limited capacity ,“ said a
doctor at Lok Nayak Hospital. He said patients often die waiting for surgery .
“I do not blame the patient's family for quarrelling with doctors. They are frustrated
at being ill-treated or be ing asked to run from one place to another seeking
treatment,“ the doctor added.
The Delhi government spends close to Rs 2,500 crore for health sector. But doctors
claim it does not ensure 100% availability of life-saving drugs and consumables
such as oxygen masks, suture, gloves and infusion pumps.
“There is no planning on how to spend government money . Two super-specialty
hospitals were built by the state government at a cost of over Rs 150 crore five
years ago to take the load off existing hospitals but 650-bed Rajiv Gandhi Super-
Speciality Hospital in east Delhi and 300-bed Janakpuri Super-Speciality Hospital in
west Delhi are not fully operational as yet,“ said a urologist at Hindu Rao Hospital.
