NAGPUR: The scene in general wards, outside operation theatres (OTs) and ICUs at both the government medical colleges in the city on Monday was in sharp contrast to what they generally look — jampacked. Most of the wards at IGGMCH’s surgical complex didn’t have any patient while only a few — considered to be emergency cases — remained admitted in orthopaedic and surgical wards.
Similarly, GMCH had fewer patients with many beds lying vacant in different wards. Manohar Bende, a resident of Sausar in Madhya Pradesh, had packed his belongings to make a move from IGGMCH. “My son’s operation has been thrice put off now. I am now taking him to a private hospital. He has multiple fractures,” said Bende.
Bende’s 35-year-old painter son was brought here around 10 days back. The hospital had planned a surgery which couldn’t go ahead twice due to various reasons while the third cancellation came in view of the ongoing nursing staff strike.
Dr Sagar Pandey, deputy medical superintendent, IGGMCH, said patients requiring elective procedures have been discharged and asked to return when the strike is called off. “Leave of doctors has been cancelled and they have started rejoining. Emergency and life saving operations are going on. During summer the patient flow is less due to vacation. Only infection or mandatory treatment patients are coming,” he said.
Dr Pandey added that though doctors are returning early from leave, patient care is also dependent on nurses. “Preparing the patient before operation, post operation care, pre-anaesthesia fitness and more such process are taken care of by nurses. Among the available nursing staff, one nurse is assigned multiple wards for the time being,” he said.
At GMCH too, doctors and lone nurses were seen shouldering the responsibility of more than one ward. At some facilities, shortage of staff left the common patient stranded.
Trinaiyan Bhakte (62), dressed in the OT gown and one hand in plaster, had been sitting outside the operation theatre since 7am when TOI met him in the afternoon. “Again my operation has been cancelled,” he said. His son Kanhiya said, “The treating doctor told us that the anaesthetist didn’t recommend operation. But there is no one to guide us.”
Relatives of patients at both the medical colleges also complained of delays in attending to them.
“We have been waiting for an hour in the casualty. No one has come,” said an elderly woman. The doctors in the casualty room had their hands full with patients teeming from all sides.
Dr Atul Rajkondawar, medical superintendent, GMCH, said, “MSc and BSc nursing students have joined. Only 100 nurses have reported to work. Rest of the 860 are on strike. We didn’t discharge any patient because of the strike,” he said.
