NGO, health centre spar over medical facilities

Monday, 10/09/2012

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120910/punjab.htm#13

Bathinda : A seriously injured man with his hands tied was found floating in water channel near Sangat Mandi and was rescued by the volunteers of the NGO, Sangat Sahara. The injured was taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Sangat where the volunteers of the NGO accused the doctors of not attending to the patient. Consequently, he was shifted to the Bathinda Civil Hospital.

The man, 27-year-old Jatinder Singh of Ruldu Singh Wali Bangi, was thrown into the water channel after being seriously injured. Jatinder was working near Bikaner in Rajasthan and a woman called him to Bathinda where his cash and other belongings were looted near Fauji Chowk.

A volunteer of the NGO Sangat Sahara, Pali Mashana, said despite his chopped fingers and grievous head injuries, Jatinder managed to come out of the water channel and reached a nearby dhaba. The workers at the dhaba informed the NGO and the man was taken to the healthcare centre.

"The attitude in dealing with such a serious case was not right. There was hardly any doctor available at the Community Health Centre at Sangat. The staff at the hospital asked us to take the unidentified patient to the Bathinda Civil Hospital," said Pali. He said it took them a while to brief the doctors at the Bathinda Civil Hospital after which the patient was admitted. "The authorities demanded the referral card from the Sangat CHC as the man was found injured in Sangat," Pali said.

He alleged that the medical services becomes out of reach for the people at night as the doctors deployed at the Sangat CHC reside in Bathinda.

Dr Seema, who has the additional charge of Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at the CHC, Sangat, while refuting the allegations, said all the doctors deployed at the CHC reach the hospital within 10 to 20 minutes. "

Since the admission rate of patients is less than five a day in the 30-bed hospital, the doctors do not stay at the hospital. However, the staff has been deployed there for assistance round-the-clock," Dr Seema said.

She said the man admitted with the serious injuries had to be shifted to the Bathinda Civil Hospital even otherwise. "He was given first aid and only then was he shifted to Bathinda," the doctor said.

Head constable Hoshiar Singh at the Sangat police station said since the crime took place under the Civil Lines police station, the case has been handed over to them for investigations.