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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Repairs at STNM Hospital’s gynae OTs sends patients to CRH on referral ANAND OBEROI

GANGTOK, 21 Apr: For the past ten days, the operation theatres for gynecology related cases at STNM Hospital have remained shut causing much inconvenience to the many cases that come for treatment to the hospital from all over the state. The shutdown of these two OTs has led the STNM hospital authorities to refer all delivery cases and gynecological surgeries to Central Referral Hospital, Manipal.
“STNM is the only hospital for the majority of people who cannot afford other medical expertise since most cases are treated free of cost here. However, with the OTs closed we were asked to take our patient to Manipal [CRH] where for every single item we have to pay,” states a patient party from Daramdin who also added that his pregnant wife had to be taken to CRH, Manipal in the dead of the night when she was brought to STNM Hospital for delivery.
“Who would have been responsible if any complications arose when my wife was referred to CRH, Manipal in the night?” questions the patient party while speaking to NOW! today.        
The Medical Superintendent Dr. Yogesh Verma while confirming that the two operation theatres at STNM Hospital for gynecology related surgeries have been “temporarily closed” for the past 10 days explained that the inconvenience being faced by the patients was because of the repair and renovation works being carried out at the two OTs at the Gynecology ward in the hospital.
“The gynecology OTs had not been repaired for the past eight years and there were signs that the OTs could prove hazardous for the hundreds of patients because the operation theatres needed immediate general repairs and complete sterilization before it can be ‘safely’ used,” explained the Medical Superintendent.
He added that infections could be a big problem for patients since the OTs were in no condition to continue with any surgery. He said that since no other operation theatre at STNM Hospital could be used specifically for gynecology related complications, the hospital authorities had no option but to refer the cases to CRH.
He also said that the inconvenience was regretted and assured that the two gynecology OTs would be operational within 4 days and stated that at present the fumigation and sterilization of the repaired and renovated OTs was being carried out.
“As soon as the fumigation process is completed and the safety measures are all complete and in-place we will start operating patients at STNM Hospital itself and then the chances of referring patients will be done away with immediately,” stated the MS.
He also mentioned that as soon as the state government completes the new multi specialty hospital at Sokeythang there will be state-of-the-art instruments and equipment which will discourage referring patients outside the state to a great level.
“I request the patients and their parties to just wait for four more days after which this inconvenience will not be there. STNM Hospital was originally made for a population of around 10,000 and is now catering to a population of around 2 lakh and that too with more or less the same number of beds. Since gynecology cases are sensitive and are prone to severe infections for the mother as well as the new born, there was no option for STNM Hospital to cater to any such cases at the moment,” he stated.
He also added that BPL families however could obtain free treatment at CRH, while government employees and their dependents will be reimbursed their cost of treatment by the state government.

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