Critical hospital

A father of another two-month-old,on condition of anonymity,said his baby did not show any visible signs of a serious ailment and that the medical officer in Nadia,where he had come from,said the child had lost body fluid and saline water needed to be administered. “He had had an upset stomach and was suffering from loose motions. I was made to sign a bond that my child was brought in a serious condition,” he said,adding that it was probably done to save them from a lot of disgrace and embarrassment since the number of crib death cases was mounting.

Negligence in duty and rude behaviour of nurses were also alleged. Rina Singh’s 34-day-old daughter Jaya,from Gaighata,24 Parganas North,was admitted on Sunday. While Jaya was having problem in breathing,Rina alleged that the nurse on duty did not pay any attention to her. “I kept on asking her to have a look at my child last night when she was gasping for breath but she did not. My daughter died this morning,” she said.

The father of Mahrufa Khatoon,who gave birth to twins,said,“We have come from Nadia. I am staying here in open air,within the hospital premises. Nurses here have very bad behaviour. They behave as if we are unwanted creatures. Besides,the OPD is a scene of filth and squalor. Dogs and cats roam freely here and often lick babies,” he said.

Lack of security at the hospital campus was clearly visible in spite of the recent case of child thefts in Chittaranjan Hospital. All it takes to reach the wards,beyond visiting hours,is a pink card,a tiffin carrier and Rs 30. “This correspondent borrowed a visitors’ card from a patient’s family member,a tiffin carrier from another and went through the side gate which had no police personnel at the gate. One uniformed guard stopped him near the stairs. “I will go up to the second floor,give the food to my sister and rush back in 5 minutess,” he said and shoved three 10-rupee notes in his hand. The guard was too busy counting his money,and therefore let him go without further hassle.

The correspondent went into every ward,including the emergency ward,talked to patients and even took pictures. No one,including the nurses in the wards,bothered to ask him anything. At most they gave him a cold stare. Each of the beds,meant for one child,was occupied by four persons – two kids and their mothers. “We sleep on these beds,half hanging. I have grown a severe pain in my waist and legs,” said the mother of an ailing child in Ward 6.

One of the mothers was holding the oxygen pipe in place because it wouldn’t stay steady or the child sleeping next,on the same bed,would pull it off. “I not only have to keep the other child away from this pipe,but also hold it steady,for as long as it is administered,” she said.

None of the hospital authorities,wanted to comment.