Six caretakers/attendants will be hired by the Chandigarh Administration to help the patients without any attendants at GMSH (Government Multi-Specialty Hospital), Sector 16. These caretakers will help and assist the patients in wheelchair, getting their medicines, and getting their tests done. “Over the years, we have seen many patients struggling alone. The caretakers will be trained to understand the entire system of the hospital and also the needs of patients,” said Dr Suman Singh, Director, Health Services, Chandigarh. This was decided in the 8th Rogi Kalyaan Samiti (RKS) executive body meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav at GMSH on Thursday. During the meeting, it was decided by the committee members that dedicated ambulance service will be started for senior citizens and bed-ridden patients. Also, dedicated help desk will be started for OPD, gynae, and emergency ward. “We have patients from across the region here. Many times they feel lost trying to find the OPDs, labs, though while security personnel do help. The help desk will save the time of patients,” said Dr Singh. The proposal of hiring data entry operators (DEOs) for registration counters and providing first 24 hours’ free treatment to all emergency patients at GMSH-16, which is being run on a pilot basis, was also discussed during the meeting, which would be initiated after due approval of the governing body. Prior to the meeting, the DC, along with the senior officials of the health department, took a round of the hospital to take an on-spot assessment of the working of healthcare services being provided to the patients at GMSH-16. He visited the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Post-Natal Ward, Labour Room (CLR), Advanced Pediatric Centre and Proposed Area for Emergency wing expansion. In the Advanced Paediatric Centre area, the health officials apprised the DC of the services being offered to paediatric patients along with provision for admission of newborn and low-birth-weight babies with complications. Further, the DC was also apprised of the facility of tele-consultation services and consultation being carried out with tertiary care facilities like PGIMER, Chandigarh, for quality and need-based healthcare services to the critically sick children. The proposed site for the expansion of the emergency services to decongest the emergency triage area and decrease the patient on trolleys was discussed, wherein the DC directed the authorities concerned to expedite the construction as proposed.
