Hyderabad: Overcrowded wards, a shortage of beds for pregnant women, poor sanitation and inadequate facilities for attendants were among the key deficiencies flagged at Niloufer Hospital by two city-based organisations following a three-day survey at the govt-run institution.The Progressive Youth League (PYL) and the Progressive Organisation of Women (POW) also alleged irregularities in medicine supply and outsourcing recruitment and demanded immediate corrective measures. The organisations submitted a memorandum to hospital authorities after staging a protest on the premises.PYL leaders said the survey was conducted on Oct 27, 28 and 29. They claimed they had twice sought an appointment with hospital superintendent Dr G Vijay Kumar to share their findings but were not granted time, following which they staged a dharna outside the hospital.“Pregnant women were made to sit on chairs for hours because of a shortage of beds, and two or three patients had to share a single bed,” said POW state president D Swaroopa.The organisations said attendants lacked basic facilities and were often forced to stay outdoors. “A three-storey rest house exists, but two floors are locked, and there is no adequate access to toilets or drinking water. Toilets in the old and new blocks were unhygienic and foul-smelling, raising fears of infection,” said PYL president BS Krishna.The organisations also made a series of allegations that could not be independently verified. They alleged that some hospital staff collected money from patients; certain diagnostic tests were referred to private laboratories for a fee and medicines at the in-house Amrutha Pharmacy were sold at higher prices than those available outside.They further alleged that free medicines and injections were being diverted to private medical shops and that irregularities existed in outsourcing recruitment, claiming that 250 jobs had been shown as 675 to facilitate false billing and fund withdrawals. They demanded a probe into the allegations.Among their other demands were improved parking facilities, better quality food under the Rs 5 meal scheme with prominently displayed menus, a dedicated grievance-redressal mechanism for patients and the filling of all vacant posts at the hospital. “We will bring the issues concerned to the notice of the DME and work towards addressing them. We are also looking forward to further improvements,” said Dr Vijay Kumar, superintendent of Niloufer Hospital.
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