INSPECTION NOTE RECORDED BY AVINASH RAI KHANNA, MEMBER, PUNJAB STATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, CHANDIGARH ON THE VISIT TO CIVIL HOSPITAL, JALANDHAR ON 21-11-2009
On 21-11-2009 I visited Civil Hospital, Jalandhar at about 12-40 PM. Civil Surgeon and other two Surgeons were present with me at the time of my visit. My observations and recommendations are as under:-
1. Emergency Ward.
Emergency Ward is having 10 beds and only one patient was lying admitted at the time of my visit. E.M.O. and other staff was present on the duty at that time. Life saving medicines for 50 patients were also lying in the emergency ward. However, it was not so much neat and clean as it should be.
2. O.P.D.
The patients were getting the slips from the window. The facility for male and female patients has been provided separately to get the slips.
3. Surgical Ward.
Doctor was on duty at the time of visit, but the X-ray View Box was not working. It was out of order. It has been demanded that Tacher facility should be provided in the Surgical Ward.
4. E.N.T. Department
Doctor was on duty. The facility of NASAPHARYNGEL Scope and Rigid Endoscope facility are not available in the ENT Department.
5. Eye Department
Doctor was present there, but the Slit Lamp was without stove
6. Skin Department
Doctor was present at that time. But it has been reported that the Hospital has no facility of lazers, chemicals for treatment of the skin patients and electric cautry. Without this facility, the functioning of this Department cannot be considered upto mark.
7. Gynae Ward.
This ward is having 40 beds and 20 patients were lying admitted at the time of my visit. Doctors were present at that
time, but the O.T. of Gynae was not upto the mark. Gynae Ward which is separately situated in the Hospital does not look like a Hospital because there was no proper light facility and the ward was not neat and clean.
8. Dental Ward
Three Doctors were present in the Ward. There were three dental chairs. All the dental chairs were in use, but the SPIT on chair was not working. So, without non-working of SPIT on chair, proper facility to the patients cannot be provided to them. There is only one X-ray machine fitted on the chair. The other X-ray machine was out of order.
9. PROSTHETICE LAB is not working since its installation.
10. X-ray Unit
There are three X-ray units and two scan machines are working in the Hospital. This Hospital is also having two mobile X-ray machines. The Hospital is having a facility of automatic film processor. One X-ray machine of 7 m.a. was lying out of order. It has been reported that the Company which has manufactured this machine wants to replace this machine without taking any money from the Government with 300 m.a. machines. The Government should think about it.
Radiation Protector jackets have not been provided to the staff which is required to save the staff from radiation. Moreover, the X-ray room has not been provided with any protecction to save the surrounding area from the radiation. The staff has reported that they are given Emergency Duty Allowance by the Government.
11. A.R.T. Centre
This Centre is running with the help of NGO (Koshish) The volunteers NGO (Koshish) were sitting and they were well conversant with the process and system of counselling, but the space for A.R.T. Centre was not sufficient.
12. Pathology Department
Pathologists were present and reported that in the month of October, 2009 16465 tests were conducted by this Department.
13. Urine Test Lab.
This lab is having no facility of fully automatic bio chemistry analyzer. Fridge was not working. It was out of order.
14. Microbiology Lab.
The hot oven was not working. Water bath was also not working.
15. HIV Test Lab.
It was fully equipped with modern testing machines.
16. Mammography machine was out of order.
17. Blood Bank
200 units of blood were lying in the Blood Bank. Plainter agitators/blood separators were not working. One of the fridge lying in the Blood Bank was out of order. It has been reported that no refreshment is given to the blood donors. A couch has been provided for the blood donors.
18. O.Ts.
There are two Operation Theatres, one operation theatre is reserved for infected patients and the other O.T. is for other patients. One of the O.Ts. is being used as store by the Hospital Authorities. Operating Microscope is lying idle for the last so many months. It is non-operational.
19. Endoscopy Unit was lying closed.
20. I.C.U.
All the monitors of ICU Unit were out of order. There is no ventilator facility in ICU. Even the beds have no handles which are required to change the position of patients
21 Dialysis Unit
It was not working at the time of my visit. It has been reported that due to shortage of water the Dialysis Unit is not operational. The lab near the Dialysis unit is used as store.
22. Lifts
There are two lifts in the Hospital and they were out of order.
23. Female Surgical Ward
It is 26 bed ward and at the time of my visit there were 20 patients. Ward for burning female patients was separate. Majority of the wash besins was without taps. Bath rooms and toilets were dirty.
24. Male Surgical Ward.
This Ward also have 26 beds. 80 patients were lying admitted at the time of my visit. Separate facility has been provided for burn patients. Bath rooms and latrines were not neat and clean.
25. Jail Inmates Ward.
At the time of my visit, six jail inmates were lying admitted in the Hospital and two Security Guards were on duty at that time. All the six jail inmates were chained. So, this is a clear cut human rights violation and also violation of the orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and Hon’ble High Courts from time to time in different writ petitions.
26. Tele-medicine system
This Hospital is having facility of tele-medicine system, but there is no provision to advertise this system and it has been reported that there is a fees problem with PGI also. There is also problem of availability of the Doctors. In nut shell it can be said that this system is not used as it should have been used.
27. E.C.G.
At the time of my visit, the ECG was being done by one Ward Attendant. It has been reported that ECG is always done by the Ward Attendant.
28. Child Specialist Ward.
This Department is also having X-ray view box, but it was not working at that time.
29. This Hospital has no CT scan.
30. This Hospital is not attached with hot line.
31. Mortuary
Mortuary of the Hospital is having six deep-freezers, but only four deep-freezers are in working condition, whereas two are out of order. In the room where post-mortem is conducted, the Air-conditioners were out of order. Four dead bodies were lying in the deep-freezers.
32. Ambulance
Two Ambulances are attached to the Hospital.
33. Parking Facility
Parking facility is available in the Hospital, but it has been reported that it is misused by the contractor as he is allowing the parking for the outsiders who come to the market.
34. There is also a separate T.B. Ward.
35. Paediatric Ward
This ward has 40 beds and 15 patients were admitted at the time of my visit. This ward is having 3 incubators which were out of order.
36. The complaint box was lying locked at the time of my visit.
RECOMMENDATIONS
(i) Tacher facility should be provided in the Surgical Ward.
(ii) X-ray View Box should be put in operation.
(iii) NASAPHARYNGAL Scope and Rigid Endoscope facility be provided in the E.N.T. Department.
(iv) Slit lamp lying in the Eye Department should be attached with stove.
(v) Lazer, chemical for treatment of skin patients and electric cautry be provided in the Skin Department.
(vi) Proper lights and proper facilities in operation theatre of Gynae Department should be provided.
(vii) The spit box attached to the dental chair should be put in order.
(viii) X-ray machine fitted on the chair should be put in order in Dental Ward.
(ix) PROSTHETICE LAB should be put in working condition.
(x) The x-ray machine of 8 m.a. lying out of order either should be put in order or should be exchanged with 300 m.a. machine as reported in the report
(xi) The radiation protector jackets should be provided to the staff and x-ray room should be protected from radiation.
(xii) The staff be allowed Emergency Duty Allowance as per policy of the Government.
(xiii) Necessary provision be made to provide more space to A.R.T. Centre.
(xiv) Urine lab should be equipped with fully automatic biochemistry analyzer and fridge lying there should be put in working condition or be exchanged, hot oven and water bath which were not working in Microbiology Lab should be put in order.
(xv) Mammography machine be also put in order.
(xvi) Fridge lying out or order in Blood Bank be also put in order.
(xvii) Plainter agitators/blood separators be put in order.
(xviii) The operating Microscope ly9ing in the O.Ts either should have been used by the Hospital. If it is not required in the Hospital, it should be shifted to some other place, where its services can be utilized.
(xix) Endoscopy Unit which was lying closed should be put in operation and necessary arrangements in this regard be made.
(xx) Monitors, ventilators and other facilities, which are not available in I.C.U. should be provided immediately for the patients.
(xxi) Dialysis Unit be put in operation and the lab attached to Dialysis Unit be used for the purpose it has been constructed.
(xxii) Lifts be also put in operation.
(xxiii) Tele-medicine system should be made deficiency free and maximum use of this system be taken so that the patients can take benefit of this system.
(xxiv) E.C.G. in the Hospital should be done by some expert.
(xxv) The facility of C.T. scan be provided in the Hospital.
(xxvi) This Hospital be attached with the Hotline so that this Hospital may not face any electricity problem.
(xxvii) Deep-freezers which are lying out of order in the Mortuary be put in order and A.Cs fitted in the Mortuary be also put in operation.
(xxviii) Parking facility should not be misused by the contractor.
(xxix) The incubator which is lying out of order be put in order so that the patients can derive benefit of it.
(xxxx) Complaint/Suggestion Boxes be operated in their letter and spirit. The complaints and suggestions received by the Hospital should be answered to the complainant concerned.
(xxxxi) Latrines and bath rooms should be properly cleaned. If there is shortage of staff, proper staff should be provided.
(xxxxii) Taps and other instruments required in the Hospital should be provided immediately.
-Sd-
(AVINASH RAI KHANNA)
MEMBER 2-12-2009
HON’BLE CHAIRMAN