Thane: The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital (CSMH) in Kalwa is facing an acute shortage of doctors. The facilities at CSMH are still not up to the mark even after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's visit in March to inspect various facilities.
The CM, during his visit, found that most of the facilities were not up to the mark and at that time he suspended the hospital dean Dr. Yogesh Sharma and deputy dean Dr. Suchitkumar Kamkhedkar for the lack of facilities and discipline.
On Thursday, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) deputy commissioner of the health department Umesh Birari visited the hospital to inspect it and also had an internal meeting with the officials of the hospitals to find out the reason behind the lack of facilities and shortage of doctors.
Shortage of nursers, ward boys and lack of cleanliness
According to a source from the hospital, "The TMC senior officer during the inspection found out that there were no nurses and ward boys at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) also the old nurses are not training the new ones properly. There is a bad smell coming from all the wards but nothing is being done about it. When CM Eknath Shinde visited the hospital there was some cleanliness done but now again it is lacking cleanliness."
The source further informed, "It seems that even after the visit of CM the senior officials of the hospital don't give attention to it. As of now for 20 bed ICU, only 1 intensivist is there whereas there is a need for 12 intensivists. Even after the advertisement there is a lukewarm response and it seems that it will still take six months or more than a year to fill the intensivists post."
Lack of doctors adding to patients' woes
A 60-year-old patient named Shardha Devi, during her second visit to the TMC-run CSMH, did not find the doctor easily for two hours.
"I came alone at CSMH as I was shifted by MT Agarwal Hospital in Mulund. I was feeling very low and was not in a position to walk but not even a single doctor came to attend to me. I come from Bhandup and have to give a fare of Rs 150 to 170 to auto-rickshaw drivers. Even though it is called a poor people's hospital but it is not serving the purpose" said teary-eyed Shardha Devi.
Earlier Eknath Shinde also expressed displeasure about the working conditions of doctors. Shinde held the dean and deputy dean responsible for various lapses and lack of facilities at the hospital and suspended them, but it seems that the situation remains the same.
CSMH making false promises
Shinde also during his visit said that the doctors must be provided with better working conditions and facilities.
The source said that "In the 500-bedded CSMH there should be around eleven chief medical officers (CMO), but as of now there are only four CMO."
Aniruddha Malgaonkar, medical officer, CSMH said, "The hospital does not lack doctors and the facilities are up to the mark. We are just into the process of upgradation and it will take some time."
