Ukhrul, September 08, 2010:: The Ukhrul District Hospital (UDH) continues to exist only in name with inadequate number of doctors and nurses to attend the patients.

Besides having not even a single specialist to carry out surgecal operation the hospital also faces acute sortage of facilities that are required in an emergency case.

The matter came to light when The Sangai Express conducted an independent investigation based on repeated complaints made by the public about the poor functioning of the hospital which is the only Government medical institute in the entire district.

Explaining their plight, doctors of this hospital said, the staff members working here have been facing lots of difficulties due to acute shortage of infrastructures and other emergency facilities like blood blank all these years.

The substandard construction of rooms and absence of lighting (Generator) for operation also add to the plight of this hospital, they added.

According to the doctors although one generator has been brought since last year the same has not been in use or in touch till today as the engineers and contractor had warned the hospital authority not to use it.

And since the generator shed has been locked the doctors and staff of this hospital with their own contribution managed to use a small generator when it is badly needed, they informed.

Mention can be made that following erratic power supply resulting in lots of inconveniences the Tangkhul Leihsak Long distributed candles to all the patients of the hospital recently.

The doctors alleged that out of 29 sanctioned posts for staff nurse only 15 staff nurses are there at present, and out of 5 nursing sister posts none is there at the moment for UDH.

They further alleged one matron named M Roma Devi never attended the hospital since her posting, saying that though she had been served an explanation call by the hospital authority she still dared to show up.

Amongst other the UDH does not have Radiology (X-Ray), ENT specialist, Anesthetic (operation), Ortho doctors, pediatric and specialist gynecologist which are all requisite for a district hospital.

It is further reported that UDH has no medical record technician though there is one sanctioned post as joining report has not been given till date and though 4 posts have been sanctioned for Lab-Technicians there is none in the hospital as the previous two doctors were being utilized at JNIMS Imphal.

There is no assistance lab-technician and no centre sterilisation room technician and out of two posts sanctioned for Ambulance drivers only one octogenarian driver has taken up the onus and out of 2 LCD posts none is available at the moment in UDH.

Immediate rectification from the authority concerned is needed as the poor villagers could not afford the private hospitals.

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