Punjab: HRC seeks report on Lack of Infrastructure at Faridkot Medical college

Faridkot: The Director of Health Services and Family welfare department has been asked by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) to submit a report explaining the lacking of basic infrastructure at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College (GGSMCH) in Faridkot before the next hearing on July 25. 

The act was taken based on a complaint filed by Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja, President of Bhai Ghanaiya Cancer Roko Sewa Society. In his complaint on May 23, he alleged that the hospital is facing a lack of medical infrastructure including no X-ray machine, USG and MRI scan machines which are considered to be basic facilities needed to run a hospital.

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The hospital has also a pile of unused land which could be used for planting trees to save the environment, Gurpreet mentioned in his complaint to the PSHRC.

In response to his complaint, PSHRC had decided to ask for a proper explanation from the Director of Health and Family Welfare through a report.

The machines which are non-functional at the hospital and which are in immediate need of replacement include the Cobalt 60 machine in the cancer department, Pet-CT scan machine in the nuclear medicine department, MRI machine in the radiology department, C-ARM machine in the operation theatre and Holter machine in the medicine department.

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He told HT, "The number of doctors and staff such as staff nurses and helpers is inadequate. The essential medicines are not available in an emergency. Ordinarily, during an emergency, an X-ray machine and ultrasound are not available and patients have to wait for several hours for an X-ray. There is a shortage of stretchers and wheelchairs in the emergency department, which requires to be equipped properly with such basic infrastructure. Besides, there is a requirement of super-speciality surgeon for cancer and oncology surgeon."

"The MRI Machine available in the radiology department is more than 10 years old and this machine cannot conduct the latest type of scans. The patients have to wait for several days for getting scan reports. Thus, there is a need to increase the number of doctors and technicians so that patients may get the report on the same day and may get their treatment done within 24 hours," he said.

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Further, he added, "In test laboratories, machines are required for separating plasma, the deep-freezer, and other machines are more than 10-15-years-old and are mostly remaining out of order. During the spread of dengue disease, people had to go to other cities for purchasing SDPs at an exorbitant price. In the absence of any laboratory technician in the blood bank, most of the work is done by laboratory attendants, which is a dangerous practice. The hospital has no advanced trauma centre."