RGGGH dean awarded for creating exclusive ward for patients with no family or support

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin presented the Nal Aalumai Virudhu (Best Practices award) to the dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital Dr E Theranirajan at the Independence Day celebration ceremony on Tuesday.

The award has been presented to him for creating an exclusive ward for patients who have been abandoned or do not have any form of financial support.

It is the first of its kind initiative in the State and has proved to be of benefit, considering the positive outcome in a significant number of beneficiaries.

A study led by Dr. Theranirajan, published in the National Library of Medicine, stated that the hospital receives untended patients whose true identity is unknown at the time of arrival at the hospital, either because they do not carry identity documents or they are not able to identify themselves due to cognitive impairment.

The study was done on the people who came to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital without any family support and it was found that there was a need for a dedicated ward for these people.

Due to a lack of identity, government hospitals usually face medical, humanitarian, and legal challenges while treating them. Thus, the dedicated ward for providing holistic care for the untended patients was established, and the rehabilitation ward was opened on 3rd December 2020 for homeless and untended patients with 20 beds each for males and females.

During the time period of December 2020 to June 2022, a total of 201 adults with physical disabilities or mixed physical and psychiatric disabilities were admitted for intensive rehabilitation. 39.8 percent had common medical illnesses, and 21.4 percent had a neurological illness. Such patients had an average of 50 days of stay and the longest stay of 447 days.

Of those patients who recovered, 26.9 percent of patients reunited with family and returned home and 62.2 percent of patients were sent to old age homes or asylums.

The food is provided to them by the hospital and it also has drinking water, television, newspapers, refrigerator, water heater, laundry services, clothing and toiletries, and a garden with a seating facility for these patients.

A team of doctors includes medical officer, nurses, physiotherapists, nutritional therapist, social workers, and sanitary workers.