By Mohan Kayaka

Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru District Hospital, located on KRS Main Road in Metagalli, which was inaugurated in 2020 even before being fully equipped, is still facing shortage of medical  equipment and infrastructure.

Thanks to the initiatives taken by former MLA Vasu and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, this hospital was inaugurated by the then State Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Jan. 23, 2020.

To ease the pressure faced by the K.R. Hospital and Cheluvamba Hospital, the then State Government led by Siddharamaiah, sanctioned the District Hospital for his home district. The Hospital building, spread across a vast area of 13 acres, was built at a cost of Rs. 70 crore. 

This 250-bed hospital has four floors and basement parking and its total built area is 20,969.3 sq.mts. The District Hospital provided exemplary service during pandemic treating over 10,000 COVID patients.

But after that, lack of medical equipment and adequate needed furniture is severely affecting the hospital’s function.

The District Hospital, which was a dedicated COVID Hospital following the outbreak of the pandemic in February-March 2020, gradually became COVID-free and started many other services like  Post Natal Care, Out Patient Department (OPD), Urology, ENT, ICU and Nephrology. Besides, it also started treating patients with burn injuries and dental problems. In addition, Special Ward, General Ward, Dialysis, Labs and Blood Bank facilities were also made available for patients.

All efforts are being made to provide adequate services to the patients despite several constraints like shortage of medical equipment, staff and furniture.

The building is provided with three borewells, water tank with a capacity of 3.5 lakh litres, four lifts, centralised oxygen pipeline, fire fighting equipment, garden, parking facility for 100 cars and 500 two-wheelers, solar water heater and compound.

Despite all this, the number of patients visiting  the hospital is very less as the lack of basic medical infrastructure is severely affecting the quality of services.

Shortage of staff

“The District Hospital needs over 300 medical staff but its present strength is less than 150. There are 27 specialist doctors, 60 nurses and 35 house-keeping staff. An increased number of patients results in increased work pressure on the existing staff,” says District Surgeon Dr. H.R. Rajeshwari Devi.

In addition, there are no security guards to monitor the movement of people and our medical staff complain about people trespassing the hospital during night time, she adds.

Dr. Rajeshwari Devi says that  Specialist Doctors are using their personal equipment and the equipment given by donors during COVID times, to give services to the patients who come here. “We have appealed many times to the Government to provide medical equipment. There is no shortage of beds in the hospital as sufficient beds were provided during COVID time. But there is no needed medical equipment for proper examination of patients and we are forced to treat patients with the minimum equipment available here,” she added.

It may be recalled here that on Jan. 24, 2020, SOM had published a news item titled ‘New District Hospital without medical equipment and staff inaugurated.’ The report had highlighted the shortage of medical equipment and medical & para-medical staff. It is sad that even after two years of its inauguration, the District Hospital is still facing the same issues.

Opposition to mortuary

It is learnt that the residents of nearby localities are opposing the construction of mortuary in the hospital premises and hence, its work is in cold storage. “Since the mortuary will be built inside the compound of the hospital, people should not oppose,” said Dr. Rajeshwari Devi seeking co-operation from the public to provide all the necessary medical services.

No. 1 in cleanliness

The District Hospital, which lags behind in providing medical services due to lack of good infrastructure, however, stands first in cleanliness. The hospital authorities have made sure that no wastes are littered in and around the hospital and a variety of flower saplings are being planted to beautify the hospital premises.  The District Hospital earned No. 1 position in the Hospital Category of Swachh Survekshan conducted by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

District Interventional Centre is being set up at the District Hospital with suitable facilities to screen and treat ailments in 0-18 years old children, people with physical impairment, hereditary and blood disorders. Also, there is a Tobacco De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre. But to provide all these services to the people, the hospital immediately requires necessary medical equipment and also furniture.

—Dr. H.R. Rajeshwari Devi, District Surgeon