GANGTOK, 14 July: Built in 1930, STNM Hospital here has not grown in patient handling terms to the scale required for the State. It has been plagued with problems of space and manpower for a long time now which is why a super-speciality upgrade is being developed a Sichey for the hospital. In the meanwhile, news-reports of patients awaiting attendance on the floors and corridors of the hospital keep surfacing to underline the distress of doctors and patients alike [read NOW! issue dated 14 July 2014].
The emergency ward is appointed for 10 beds to cater to the immediate/ emergency needs of patients, who, if they require prolonged treatment are to be shifted to other wards. However, due to lack of beds in other wards, patients remain in the emergency ward for four to five days. And that overcrowds the emergency ward and is routine to find patients occupying every possible space in the unit at any given time.
Medical Superintendent, STNM Hospital, Dr Yogesh Verma, confirms that the hospital is in urgent need of more manpower followed by increased space and equipment.
No nursing or paramedical staff has been recruited in the past three years even as hospital staff are retiring every month further adding to the problem of lack of manpower, he informs. The last month, 43 nursing staff stationed at STNM Hospital retired. They have not been replaced.
At present, two Medical Officers and three nursing staff stationed at the emergency ward cater to more than 70 patients at a time.
The MS further informs that the state government's directions not to refer too many cases outside for treatment puts additional pressure on the hospital.
When asked about the proposed ten bedded burns unit for immediate care of burns patients, Dr. Verma said, “Give us space and manpower and we will give you all the required medical facilities”.
The pressure on the infrastructure and manpower notwithstanding, the hospital is still among the cleaner units around. And this, despite the fact that the hospital has only 16 safai karamcharis attending to it when it requires at least 17 per shift [51 in all].
The emergency ward is appointed for 10 beds to cater to the immediate/ emergency needs of patients, who, if they require prolonged treatment are to be shifted to other wards. However, due to lack of beds in other wards, patients remain in the emergency ward for four to five days. And that overcrowds the emergency ward and is routine to find patients occupying every possible space in the unit at any given time.
Medical Superintendent, STNM Hospital, Dr Yogesh Verma, confirms that the hospital is in urgent need of more manpower followed by increased space and equipment.
No nursing or paramedical staff has been recruited in the past three years even as hospital staff are retiring every month further adding to the problem of lack of manpower, he informs. The last month, 43 nursing staff stationed at STNM Hospital retired. They have not been replaced.
At present, two Medical Officers and three nursing staff stationed at the emergency ward cater to more than 70 patients at a time.
The MS further informs that the state government's directions not to refer too many cases outside for treatment puts additional pressure on the hospital.
When asked about the proposed ten bedded burns unit for immediate care of burns patients, Dr. Verma said, “Give us space and manpower and we will give you all the required medical facilities”.
The pressure on the infrastructure and manpower notwithstanding, the hospital is still among the cleaner units around. And this, despite the fact that the hospital has only 16 safai karamcharis attending to it when it requires at least 17 per shift [51 in all].
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