Faulty dialysis motor puts patients at risk in Kancheepuram GH
Hundreds of residents from Kancheepuram and other districts would visit the hospital for various treatments as the Kancheepuram GH is the district headquarters hospital.
Representative image
CHENNAI: At a time when the State government is on a spending spree to develop medical infrastructure in Chennai, the city’s neighbouring district of Kancheepuram is left bereft of any.
The Kancheepuram GH, which is the main hospital in the district, is struggling to meet the growing demand from patients.
The situation is dire for those in need of dialysis, as they’re made to wait for long hours since the old motor, which wasn’t functioning properly for months, has not been replaced yet.
Hundreds of residents from Kancheepuram and other districts would visit the hospital for various treatments as the Kancheepuram GH is the district headquarters hospital.
The locals could not stop lamenting over the lack of basic facilities at the hospital.
“The motor in the dialysis ward got too old and has been creating problems for months, said a resident. “In Kancheepuram GH, more than 30 people come for dialysis in a day for two days a week. Many come from nearby districts too. While purified water is essential for doing dialysis, the motor malfunctions and patients suffer.”
Dialysis patients, who visit early morning for their session, are made to wait for hours. Due to the brutal summer heat, patients become tired, and start sleeping on the floor. Some get suffocated and fall unconscious.
Most patients who visit the GH in the district are from a weak economic background. They travel from afar and take appointments before their visit.
“Dialysis is one of the most important procedures and should be done with proper care but the hospital administration is not even maintaining the ward properly,” rues a patient. “We’ve told them about the faulty motor, and have been urging them to replace it for several months but the same motor is being used. We keep suffering because of their negligence.”
Karthick of Sriperumbudur visits the hospital with his mother for dialysis in the morning. “Because of the motor issue, it takes all day for the procedure to be completed. My mother suffers a lot more in the hospital, as there’s not even a proper space for resting,” he stated.
When contacted, the RMO of Kancheepuram GH said that the hospital was facing issues due to voltage fluctuations in the summer. “This has affected the motors as well. There’s no specific problem with the motors,” he said. “We’ve requested the electricity department to test it and rectify any faults quickly.”
