Late on Tuesday night, Kharar Civil Hospital was the subject of an unexpected examination by Kharar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gurmandar Singh. Upon inspection, it was discovered that there were no doctors on duty at the mother-child care center. The operational procedures of the hospital have come under intense scrutiny in light of this discovery, especially the lack of medical staff during emergencies.
Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Chief Minister of Punjab, opened the hospital’s mother-child care section last year. Two doctors work there from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. After these hours, nurses are left to handle routine birth situations at the institution without the rapid medical care they need. A contractual nurse who was questioned during the inspection claims that doctors are only contacted in the event of an emergency at night. This procedure suggests that nurses will be heavily dependent on them to oversee deliveries in the absence of doctors, which could endanger patient safety.
The nurses told the SDM that they carry out routine births while the doctors are away. This information is concerning since it highlights a weakness in the hospital’s operational protocols and calls into question the quality of care given after hours. Dependence on nurses to do births in the absence of direct medical supervision may have negative consequences for moms and babies, particularly in circumstances that may be complex.
A patient’s relative named Harjit Singh gave a first-hand description of the difficulties brought on by the hospital’s shortcomings. Due to a lack of blood, Singh’s son was referred from Kurali Hospital to Kharar Civil Hospital. But Singh had another problem when he got there: the hospital’s wheelchairs were broken, so he had to hold his son in his arms. This story illustrates how the hospital’s personnel shortages and inadequate supply of basic medical equipment jeopardize patient care even more.
Many complaints about the hospital, especially the large number of patient referrals to Phase-6 Civil Hospital or other government hospitals in Chandigarh, prompted the SDM’s inspection. The high referral rate raises the possibility that Kharar Civil Hospital has systemic problems and may not have enough staff or equipment to handle certain medical cases. The increasing number of referrals raises concerns about the quality of care provided at Kharar Civil Hospital and puts additional burden on other healthcare facilities.
The SDM responded to the results by declaring that after a careful investigation, the proper steps would be taken. Even though the inspection was standard procedure, he stressed that the complaints made called for a more thorough investigation of the hospital’s operations, namely the causes of the high referral rates. With the notable exception of the lack of doctors in the mother-child care department, the SDM praised the staff’s responsiveness and the facilities’ sufficiency. He emphasized that doctors should always be present during deliveries, indicating that this practice needs to be corrected right away.
The SDM expressed a commitment to resolving the problems found during the inspection in her remarks. He said he was going to talk about the results with the hospital’s physicians first thing in the morning and address the issue to make sure proper medical procedures are followed. In order to rebuild patient confidence in the hospital and guarantee that they receive the care they require, this proactive approach is imperative.
The circumstances at Kharar Civil Hospital bring to light more general problems with the healthcare system, especially with regard to personnel and resource distribution. Better scheduling and resource management are required, as seen by the reliance on nurses to carry out vital medical treatments when doctors are not available. Furthermore, the broken medical equipment—such as wheelchairs—highlights the necessity of routine maintenance and sufficient funding to guarantee that the hospital can successfully attend to patients’ requirements.
Significant operational problems at Kharar Civil Hospital have been revealed by SDM Gurmandar Singh’s surprise inspection. One such issue is the lack of doctors in the mother-child care department during crucial hours. The hospital’s reliance on nurses to deliver patients in the event that doctors are not available, together with equipment malfunctions and high referral rates, highlight the urgency of taking prompt corrective action to guarantee patient safety and high-quality care.
SOURCE:
MEDICAL DIALOGUES
