Emergency section struggles under mounting rush, patients sleep on floors

Mysore/Mysuru: The State-run Krishna Rajendra (K.R.) Hospital is facing severe overcrowding, with the growing daily influx of patients stretching its infrastructure to the limit. The situation is particularly alarming in the Emergency Ward, where patients are often forced to share beds due to lack of space.

In the 30-bed two emergency sections, two and sometimes even three patients are accommodated on a single bed, with some lying in such proximity that one patient’s legs touch another patient’s face.

One of the Emergency Wards, spread across a narrow 50 ft x 7 ft area, remains congested round the clock, especially during the night. In many instances, patients are made to sleep on the floor. Relatives of patients have expressed concern over the conditions, stating that patients who are already suffering should not be subjected to such treatment. They said, overcrowding has been increasing steadily, while infrastructure expansion has not kept pace.

K.R. Hospital has a total capacity of 1,100 beds, excluding the Emergency Ward and almost all beds remain occupied.

The pressure is most acute in the emergency section. When patient inflow becomes unmanageable, two patients are made to share a single bed.

Hospital sources said, the rush and overcrowding are largely confined to the Emergency Ward, while General and Special Wards function relatively normally. In several cases, delays in issuing OPD slips due to server problems add to the congestion.

Managing with resources

Responding to concerns over overcrowding and hygiene, K.R. Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Shobha told Star of Mysore this morning that the patient rush increases sharply during the night. “To manage the inflow, stable patients are shifted from the Emergency Ward to General Wards during the evening itself so that beds can be freed for night emergencies,” she said.

Dr. Shobha pointed out that the hospital’s heritage status also limits expansion plans, as the building cannot be altered or structurally modified without restrictions.

OPD expansion to solve problem

“The ongoing construction of a new Outpatient Department (OPD) Block will help ease the crisis. The new OPD building, being constructed adjacent to the hospital at an estimated cost of Rs. 75 crore, is expected to be completed within a year,” she said.

Once operational, all OPD services will be shifted out of the main heritage structure. The vacated rooms in the existing building will then be converted into additional inpatient wards and the emergency section will also be expanded, Dr. Shobha noted.

“Sometimes the rush becomes unbearable. Though departments such as Orthopaedics, Neurology, Nephrology and other specialised services have been shifted to Princess Krishnajammanni Super Speciality Hospital and Trauma Care Centre, patients requiring emergency care continue to flock to K.R. Hospital,” she added.