Kochi: Pathalam ESI Hospital, one of the oldest hospitals in the district that is sought by hundreds of workers from the industrial belt and other establishments in the district and their families, presents a picture of deficiencies for more than a year after the Union government promised a facelift for it.
Patients going to the hospital say that there are no adequate facility to take care of pregnant women or children as well as accident victims, among others.
"There are not enough doctors to take care of the patient flow," said Sunil Kumar K., a native of Pathalam. "There is medicine shortage. The hospital premises are not properly kempt. In the absence of enough staff, bye-standers are forced to pull wheeler-chairs and stretchers carrying patients."
Union minister of state for labour and employment Bandaru Dattatreya during his visit last year had promised a dialysis unit, cardiac department with facilities like cath lab, department of orthopaedics, a neo-natal ICU and a panchakarma centre for the hospital. The hospital, which has 355 staff, already has over three dozen dialysis patients who are now being referred to empanelled private hospitals.
"Setting up super-specialty departments at the hospital will not be difficult as enough Central funds are available but initiatives have to be taken at the political level and administrative level to get the projects rolling. Doctors too have to be made available which is a difficult task since not all are willing to come to the hospital in the outskirts. The hospital still has 100 beds which too have to be increased significantly," said Mr Sunil Kumar. The hospital superintendent was unavailable for comments.
