Lack of medical facilities forces people to cross border
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Anantapur: Lack of proper medical facilities is a big problem for the people of Rayalaseema district as they need to depend on hospitals of Bengaluru and Hyderabad even for minor ailments. The state division had adverse impact on medical facilities in the region. Though four general hospitals exist in Rayalaseema district none of the hospitals have any facility to conduct open heart surgeries and or angioplasty and simply refer cases to Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
For instance, K. Syamasundar Rao, a patient had to rush to Bengaluru in a critical condition about 300 kms distance from Anantapur on a ventilator ambulance after he was diagnosed with a cardiac problem fifteen days ago. Delay in proper diagnosis led to deterioration and finally the patient died of multi-organ failure at a private hospital in Bengaluru.
Shockingly, Anantapur general hospital has stopped cataract surgeries one year ago on allegations of infection in the surgery ward. But some of the doctors were attending surgeries at private hospitals even with poor facilities. Kurnool general hospital had also stopped heart surgeries due to lack of facilities and required staff. “Doctors refer the cases to Hyderabad and other hospitals,” sources said.
Senior physician Dr Ravi Sreenivas of Anantapur observed that Rayalaseema is the worst hit after state bifurcation. “The general hospitals should be provided with minimum staff and infrastructure enough to undergo even heart surgeries,” he opined.
A senior doctor from Kurnool lamented that surgeries were stopped at general hospital that forcing poor patients to spend hefty amounts at private hospitals. The Anantapur and Kadapa general hospitals were facing shortage of skilled doctors. MLC Dr Geyanand of CPM lamented the general hospitals were failing to provide minimum medical aid for the patients.
The government should concentrate on providing minimum amenities to compete with private hospitals. The state government had proposed AIMS hospital to Guntur district, closer to the state capital. But, a super specialty was proposed in Anantapur with an estimated Rs 40 crore to compensate for the AIIMS at Guntur. The district authorities identified suitable land for establishment of super specialty hospital, but the process is still on paper.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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