Visit of Hon’ble Member Sh Avinash Rai Khanna to BBMB Hospital Nangal

On 2-07-2009 I paid a surprise visit  to BBMB Hospital, Nangal at about 6-30 PM to 7-40 PM.  My observations are as follow:-

1.                     Emergency Ward     

                        One Doctor and one staff member was present in Emergency Ward. One patient was also lying admitted therein. The ward was not so neat and clean as it should be.

2.                     Life Saving Drugs and Swine Flu Drugs

                        It has been reported that the life saving drugs for 25 patients were lying in the store, but no separate ward was established for the treatment of swine flu patients nor there was any medicine lying in the hospital to treat the swine flu patients. The Doctors were also not aware as to if separate ward is to be established or not..

3.                     Staff

                        This Hospital has 12 Doctors including one Dental Doctor. There is no ENT Specialist, no Orthopaedic Specialist, no Cardiac Expert, no Skin Expert and no Doctor of Gynecology was posted in the Hospital.  So in the absence of proper staff, the requisite health services cannot be made available to the patients.

4.                     Ambulance

                        There is an ambulance provided by the BBMB, but the ambulance provided by the Government of Punjab was withdrawn about two years back.  If any patient uses the ambulance of the BBMB, then he has to pay Rs. 28/- per kilometer as charges, which are too expensive. So, it is a burden on the poor person. The Government of Punjab is required to provide an ambulance in the Hospital or the BBMB be asked to charge Rs. 2/3 as they are charging from its employees.

5.                    Implementation of the Policy of the Government        

                        It was reported that the National Programmes are followed in the Hospital, but the facility  for Free Delivery of Child in a Civil Hospital as announced by the Government of Punjab is not  provided in this Hospital.

6.                     I.C.T.C. Centre

            There is no counsellor posted in this Centre. Although HIV tests are conducted in the Hospital.  So without counsellor there is no use of the same. X-ray and ultrasound facility are available in the Hospital, but there is no CT Scan therein. Even there is no system of automatic Film Process in the Hospital.

7.                     O.P.D.

                        It has been brought to my notice that daily 400/500 patients come to the Hospital for treatment and in an year 1.50 lacs patients are getting the treatment from this Hospital. It is a 100 bed Hospital and there was 59 occupancy  at the time of my visit.

                        Dustbins lying in the indoor patient rooms were full of dirty material and were not neat and clean.

                        Kitchen of the Hospital was neat and clean. The preparations were made to prepare the dinner.

8.                     Labour Room

                        The labour room was well equipped. However, the lights, water and  fans  were being  wasted in the Hospital.

9.                     Operation Theatre

                        There were two operation theatres in the Hospital. They were neat and clean. Air Conditioner was not in working condition and emergency medicines were lying in the operation theatres.

9.                     Drinking Water Facility      

                        Only one cooler was in working condition for OPD patients. So, it was insufficient to  cater to the needs of the patients.

10.                   Mortuary

                        There was no defreezer in the Mortuary nor any fan.  It is for away from the Hospital and was not safe to work in the Mortuary.

11.                   Tele-medicine            

                        There is no provision of tele-medicine in the Hospital.

12.                   Canteen    

                        The canteen of the Hospital was situated near the gate of the Hospital. Bath room and latrine attached to the canteen  were very dirty and foul smell was coming  from them.

13                    Accommodation

This hospital is situated at the border of Himachal Pradesh. Nangal is a historic city being surrounded by two important religious places -    Shri Anand Pur Shib and Mata Naina Devi and Bhakra Dam is also there.  So, this Hospital can be used to promote medical tourism. There is sufficient place lying vacant in the Hospital area. If all the facilities are provided, it shall prove a suitable place for medical  tourism.

                        The Government of Punjab be asked to provide ambulance in the Hospital or the ambulance of BBMB be made available at reasonable rates.

                        It is worth-mentioning here that 60% of the expenses are reportedly borne by the Punjab, 30% by Haryana and 10% by Rajasthan. So people of Punjab should not be debarred from deriving the benefit from the Hospital.

                        Expert Doctors, as reported above, be immediately posted in the Hospital. Tele-medicine facility be started, so that the people can take the benefit of other expert Doctors by siting in Nagal .

                        Free Delivery of Child Scheme as announced by the Government of Punjab be commenced  in the Hospital at the earliest.

                        Proper Mortuary be constructed in the Hospital by providing the facility of defreezer.

                        One more water cooler to facilitate the OPD patients be provided in the Hospital.

                        Wastage of water and electricity be avoided. The Hospital be properly maintained by keeping it neat and clean.

                        The automatic Film Processor be installed in the Hospital.

                        C.T. Scan facility be provided in the Hospital.

           

                                                                                                                    -Sd-

 

( AVINASH  RAI  KHANNA)

                                                                                                           MEMBER 8/7/2009