PONDA: There seems to be no end to the sufferings of patients visiting the Ponda Sub District Hospital as it’s been several days, five of its seven elevators have been rendered defunct, compelling the patients to walk up and down the stairs.
To add to patients’ woes, the remaining two elevators, which are functional at times, break down.
To make matters worse, it’s been 10 months the hospital is without a surgeon which has forced patients to get their surgeries done at private hospitals.
Ponda resident Viraj Sapre complained that the hospital lacks a CT scan machine and other facilities compelling the patients to travel to private hospitals and GMC for CT scans. He further stated that patients are further forced to do blood tests at private laboratories.
He claimed that several such private centres have come up in Ponda, which are equipped with CT scan and advertisement boards of centres are displayed near the Sub District Hospital.
“Will it take the government 50 years to make the CT scan facility at Sub District Hospital a reality? I request the MLAs from the taluka to look into these problems,” Sapre urged.
Dr Jayashree Madkaikar, Medical Superintendent of Ponda Sub District Hospital said “The PWD looks after maintenance and I informed them about the defunct elevators and had also brought it to the notice of the Health Department to fill the vacant post of surgeon.”
