Darbhanga: The Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) has been left with no choice but to make patients sleep on mattresses and blankets on the floor as the administration struggles to cope with the ever increasing demand for beds.
Such a chaotic scene was witnessed at the medicine department of the hospital on Monday. The department with a capacity to admit 129 patients had to cope with about 220.
In a bid to cope with the prevailing chaos, the hospital administration got some adjacent beds joined to admit a third patient between the two. This was, however, done after the permission of two patients and their attendants whose beds were joined for accommodating a third one. However, only 15 patients were accommodated as many did not allow to join their beds.
DMCH supritendent Dr RR Prasad said that with the number of beds and space available, the hospital is struggling to cope with the high number of patients. It is difficult for the doctors and interns to examine a patient lying on the floor.
Prasad said the hospital is servicing a larger population than what it was designed for about 30 years ago. The population has grown substantially and so is the number of patients. “The state health department has already been informed about the prevailing situation but nothing has been done so far,” he added.
Giving an account of patient influx in OPDs, the superintendent said the OPD was set up around 35 years with a capacity to treat around 500 patients daily but now around 2,500 patients come everyday. “Most of the patients are accompanied by their attendants. The situation is so bad that a patient has to jostle to get his or her turn. An extension of the OPD is urgently needed,” said Dr Prasad.
