PORVORIM, JULY 28
Once the lifeline of the people in North Goa, the Asilo Hospital at Mapusa has now turned into a ruin that can barely support itself, let alone provide facilities to the public.
Asilo Hospital claims to have all basic facilities like casualty, out-patient department, pathology laboratory, sonography, X-Ray machine, intensive coronary care unit, operation theatres and pharmacy. About 30 specialist doctors and 22 medical officers are employed in the hospital.
But when it comes to discharge of medical services and hygiene at the hospital, the list of complaints are endless.
When this scribe visited the ladies ward on the first floor of the hospital, a dog was seen seated in the corridor of the ward, while a cat was resting on the patient’s bed.
The appearance of the bed sheets gives the impression that they are as old as the hospital.
Plaster of the roofs and walls of OPD Block has peeled off at many places and water is seeping in the building through the roof. Besides, walls are soaked and mangled electricity wires are seen hanging, thereby posing threat to the lives of people.
Sources further informed that the condition of the toilets is also deplorable. The morgue has been closed and it has been converted into store room.
The Out Patient Department of the Hospital was built in the seventies and the first floor of the OPD block was built in 1981.
In the course of last 30 years, the population of North Goa has increased manifold and is unable to cope with the rush of patients, as thousands of people visit the OPD every day. The people have to stand for long hours since there are no sufficient sitting facilities in the hospital.
Speaking to Herald, Pundalik Chodankar of Revora said he had come to the hospital at about 9.30 am with his wife and daughter, who is sick.
“There is a long queue at the medicine ward on the first floor and as there is no place to sit there, I was sitting on the ground floor along with my daughter, while my wife was standing in the queue,” complained Chodankar.
“It is now 11 am and there are still 40 more patients to be examined. One doctor arrived at 9.30 am, while the second doctor reported for duties at 10 am. Considering the big rush, I don’t think I will be able return home before 1 pm,” said Chodankar disgustingly.
The general complaint of the people, who visit the hospital, is that doctors do not report for duties on time, which affects the functioning of the hospital.
Sources informed that some of the doctors in the hospital are allegedly engaged in private practices.
Explained a specialist doctor from the hospital, who engages in private practice: “If people come to my residence what should I do? I am not inviting them at my residence. As a doctor, it is my duty to examine the patients when they approach us, whether in hospital or at my dispensary.”
“People are forcing us to do private practice. When doctors in Asilo hospital do something good, nobody praises them but if something goes wrong with the patient, then the doctors are cursed and this is not fair,” said the doctor.
One senior staff employee in the Administrative department in Asilo Hospital, under the condition of anonymity informed that maintenance of the hospital is the responsibility of PWD.
“But the PWD engineers are hardly bothered about the maintenance, but nobody blames them. The Medical Superintendent has got limited financial powers and major repair work has to be carried out by PWD,” said the staff.
Though there is a pharmacy at the hospital, it does not operate for 24 hours. It closes at 4.30 pm. The patients who get admitted in the hospital in the evening have to procure medicines from private pharmacies.