Collector orders corrective steps at Kanchi GH

KANCHEEPURAM: In order to take corrective measures in the government hospital that has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent past including a student nurse indulging in ‘consensual sex’ with one of the sanitary workers in nurses’ dormitory, the Collector  conducted a surprise inspection on Friday.Collector Sivashanmugaraja held wide-ranging discussions with Joint Director of Health Services Dr Kumaresh, Hospital Superintendent Dr S Illango, and Municipal Engineer Balasubramanian, in the presence of RDO Dr Veerappan and senior PWD officials at the hospital. One of the allegations pertained to the fact the hospital authorities were either turning a Nelson’s eye, or hand in glove with private ‘white board’ vehicles unofficially doubling up as ambulance right in front of the hospital, as there remains a severe shortage of government ambulances at the hospital. These ambulances fleece the already beleaguered family members of the critically ill by charging up to Rs 5,000 to Chennai referrals as against a nominal Rs 650 in the government ambulance.The district headquarters hospital at present is equipped with only two ambulances for an average daily outpatient population of around 1200. “We have made arrangements to divert one more ambulance from Uthiramerur GH,” Dr Kumaresh told the Collector. Moreover, the hospital does not even have a mortuary vehicle.The hospital is also heavily short-staffed. The GH has only one Orthopedic surgeon, and at least one more is urgently required. Water shortage at the hospital is acute. Dr S Illango said the GH dug three bore wells recently, and only one of them yielded water at 250 ft.