Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 03:
With the Government in no apparent hurry to redress the grievances of the people pertaining to the District Hospital, CCpur and the pitiable condition of the Hospital showing no signs of improving, the Zomi Human Rights Foundation (ZHRF), an independent rights group based in Lamka, has now taken up the issue with the State Government on behalf of the people.
A source from the rights body said that the organization will soon be approaching the State Human Rights Commission to conduct an on-the-spot investigation at the hospital if the State Government still fails to act consequent upon the submission of the memorandum.
In the memorandum submitted to the Government yesterday, the ZHRF said that it had commissioned a working group to investigate into the numerous complaints about the hospital as all those complaints which have fallen on deaf ears.
The Working Group, after minutely investigating all matters of the hospital for over a week, submitted its findings to the Executive Committee which agreed to put up the case to the Government as the apathy and neglect shown by the authority concerned is very grave, it said.
Digging deep into the condition of the hospital, which is the only Government hospital in the district, the ZHRF pointed out that the entire infrastructure of the hospital from the building itself to various ward rooms are in dilapidated conditions.
The Government has not provided even basic essentials like Register books, Admission and discharge record books, general supplies like kerosene or soaps and life saving drugs since a long time.
Basic equipment like BP instrument, oxygen, cotton and spirit etc.
are not available.
It also noted the absence of sanitary measures in the hospital and said that most toilets are unusable.
There is no mopping of ward rooms.
Non deployment of security personnel even after repeated request for the same by the hospital authorities have also gravely affected security environment in the hospital premises, it added.
The memorandum also came down heavily on the staff shortage in the hospital, saying that only one doctor and four nurses were available on any normal day to look after the entire 100-bedded hospital at night time.
It also decried the absence of equipments at the hospital OT, which has resulted in its indefinite closure since about six months ago.
The memorandum also said that various equipments like deep freezers and generators for the Blood Bank remain uninstalled.
Departments like Ultra-sound and X-Ray and Radiography remained unusable as many of the necessary tools are too old, or non-functional or just not available.
It added that a power generator is also urgently required as electricity supply is very irregular.
The Memorandum, thus, demanded that the Operation Theatre of the hospital be made functional by installing all necessary equipments, materials for Blood Bank lying idle be installed and instruments necessary for Ultra sound and X-ray be supplied immediately.
It also asked the Government to accord sanctioned-status to the casualty department of the hospital and provide adequate staff apart from other essential provisions and amenities necessary in a hospital.
Emphasizing the pitiable condition of the hospital, it said that a delegation from Japan who recently visited the hospital compared it to an animal shed.