*Unending wait for CT Scan at DH Ramban
Mohinder Verma
RAMBAN, June 16: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that Rs 78 lakh worth Critical Care Ambulance positioned at District Hospital Ramban is being put to use only during the visits of the VVIPs and not for the critical patients requiring transportation either to Jammu or Srinagar for specialized treatments.
The Critical Care Ambulance was provided by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to the District Hospital Ramban through National Highway Authority of India in the month of September last year for the use in shifting critical patients to hospitals either in Jammu or Srinagar for specialized treatment.
The District Hospital Ramban was chosen for Critical Care Ambulance, which contains Rs 66 lakh worth state-of-the-art equipment like ventilator, keeping in view the fact that numerous tragic road accidents take place on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 1A after regular intervals and critically injured patients are required to be shifted to the hospitals in the capital cities.
However, the ambulance could not be used for the critical patients till date and rather is being put to use only during the visits of VVIPs to the erstwhile Doda district, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “whenever any VVIP visits the area instructions come from the higher up to the Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, Ramban to depute the Critical Care Ambulance to the spot”.
When asked about the reason behind not allowing the ambulance to be used for the intended purpose, sources said, “only anesthesiologist can operate the equipment installed in the ambulance but during the past quite long time neither any anesthesiologist has been deputed in the hospital nor exclusively for the ambulance”, adding “during the VVIP visits, the ambulance is deputed along with one Assistant Surgeon and some technicians”.
They regretted, “it is most unfortunate that for want of one anesthesiologist benefit of Rs 78 lakh worth Critical Care Ambulance is being denied to the critical patients notwithstanding the fact that even minor surgery on emergency basis can be performed in this ambulance”. They disclosed that the issue of providing two anesthesiologist to the District Hospital was brought to the notice of Director Health Services, Jammu a number of times but till date no step has been initiated in this regard.
In response to a question, sources said, “whenever attendants of any critical patient approach the hospital administration for providing ambulance service they are told to pay Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 for shifting the patient either to Jammu or Srinagar on the ground that fuel average of the ambulance is three kilometer per liter”. However, during the visit of VVIPs, the expenditure on account of fuel of the ambulance is borne by the administration or authorities of Health Department under different heads of accounts.
What to talk of making optimum use of this Critical Care Ambulance, the District Hospital is also crying for CT Scan machine during the past four years. “In 2010, we were told that CT Scan would be provided to the hospital very shortly but till date the machine has not been provided as a result of which for CT Scan facility the patients are being referred to other destinations”, sources informed.
The situation vis-à-vis health facilities for the accident probe district can be gauged from the fact that Trauma Hospital building is ready with certain equipment but its optimum use remains a dream due to the shortage of necessary machinery and manpower including doctors and para-medical staff. “In such a situation major part of the building stands like a white elephant”, sources remarked.
When contacted, District Development Commissioner, Ramban, M H Malik confirmed that for want of anesthesiologist the facility of Critical Care Ambulance was not available to the patients. “I have taken up this issue as well as shortage of manpower and equipment in the Trauma Hospital with the concerned authorities and hopefully they will initiate steps to improve the situation”, he added.
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