2-Week Waiting Period at Nalgonda GGH for Ultrasound Scans

Nalgonda:Patients have to wait for nearly two weeks for their turn to undergo ultrasound scans at the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Nalgonda. Further, patents charge that doctors at the GGH prescribe no medicines until the patients get the ultrasound scan report.

Such a long wait for treatment is forcing some of the patients in Nalgonda to approach private labs for scanning. But the poor without resources are waiting for two weeks, sometimes more, for getting their scan done at Nalgonda GGH.

There is only one ultrasound scanning machine at the 650-bed Government General Hospital in Nalgonda. Sources said the hospital performs scanning on maximum 30 patients in a day.

An 83-year-old patient B. Swamy, who suffers from frequent stomach pain, had come to Nalgonda GGH for treatment. He completed his OP registration and consulted the medical officer on April 29. The officer issued a requisition form to him on the same day for ultrasound scan. But, the date for ultrasound scan is May 21, which is 21 days after.

Swamy said the medical officer refused to prescribe any medicine for his stomach pain, saying he cannot give any prescription without knowing the diagnosis.

Another patient Tekula Ashok Reddy, who also suffered from abdominal pain, consulted the doctor at Nalgonda GGH on April 30. The doctor issued a requisition form for ultrasound scan of the abdomen and pelvic region. But the scanning centre employees have asked him to come on May 18 for the ultrasound scan, 18 days after the diagnosis test suggested by the doctor.

Hospital plagued by lack of wheelchairs

The experience of patients recommended for X-ray is different. The X-Ray unit is in the building of Telangana Radiology Hub, which lacks facilities for patients. Even wheelchairs are unavailable. In addition, X-ray films or reports are not issued to the patients at the X-ray unit. Patients have to instead take photographs of the X-ray images on their mobile phones and show them to doctors.

A patient Guni Narsimha, a native of Yelanki in Ramannagudem mandal, said he had been discharged from Nalgonda GGH after treatment of his fractured leg. As suggested by the doctor, he came back for check-up after a month. The doctor again suggested an X-ray. As no wheelchair had been available, Narsimha’s grandson carried him up to the Telangana Radiology Hub.

Pregnant Women wait in queue for hours

Pregnant women are forced to stand in queue lines for more than half an hour for registration of their names for consultation at the Mother and Child Hospital. In hot weather conditions, these women are facing severe inconvenience. A pregnant woman, on condition of anonymity, said she had to wait for hours for consulting the doctor every month. There are no proper fans and sufficient chairs in the waiting area. “If additional doctors are appointed, such waiting time could be reduced for pregnant women,” she said.

Superintendent of Nalgonda GGH Narsimha Rao did not respond when this reporter tried to contact him on the issues being faced by patients coming to the hospital.