Journalism of Courage
With Diwali being celebrated over the weekend,many hospitals in the city have postponed planned surgeries. And with several doctors and staff members on leave,OPDs are registering less number of patients for the last couple of days. All hospitals are however prepared to tackle emergencies during Diwali.
At KEM Hospital,which conducts at least 50 surgeries on a daily basis,only 15-20 surgeries are scheduled every day these days. Some of the staff who are from outside Pune have been granted leave but the medical emergencies will be dealt with, said Dr V L Yemul,Medical Director,KEM Hospital. The OPD,which is usually crowded on a Monday,will not be open on account of Padwa. But the casualty section would function 24×7,said Yemul.
The OPD at Sassoon General Hospital,too,is working with less staff these days. As against a daily average of 1,500 patients seeking treatment,the number has come down to 1,250,according to official spokesperson Dr D B Kadam. While approximately 200 patients get admitted to the hospital every day,he said,this number too would slightly go down over the Diwali weekend. Some patients too are requesting the doctors to defer admission till after Diwali.
Dr A Thopte,Assistant Manager,Operations,at Sahyadri hospital in Deccan,said the OPD was receiving only 10-15 patients daily for the last couple of days. Emergencies and critical cases are always attended to but planned surgeries have been postponed as patients themselves do not want to get admitted during the Diwali period, he said.
Dr Sharad Agharkhedkar,head of the paediatrics department at D Y Patil Hospital,said there had been a dip in the overall attendance of patients at the OPD. As against an average of 200 patients daily,he said,some 100 patients were coming to the OPD these days.
At Ruby Hall Clinic,said Medical Director Dr Sujata Malik,an approximate 300 surgeries were conducted on a weekly basis. While a medical team would attend to emergencies,she said,some of the planned surgeries would be deferred with Diwali falling on a Sunday.
Jehangir hospitals CEO George Eapen said doctors were working despite it being a Diwali weekend. He said patients would be given a box of sweets and the hospital decorated on the day. We are completely geared up to tackle any emergency be it a burns case or an eye injury, said Rekha Dubey,Chief Operating Officer at Aditya Birla hospital.
