Open House: What should be done to minimise the patient load at the tertiary care hospitals in Chandigarh?

Expand hospital infrastructure

Hospitals like the PGI or GMCH-32 have built up their reputation as those which can handle complicated cases with dexterity. Thanks to experienced doctors and staff. So they will continue to be sought after for the treatment of complicated cases from neighbouring states besides from the tricity. The solution lies in expanding infrastructure of these hospitals to accommodate more cases. After all, nothing is more invaluable than human life.

Sapna Sharda

Probe why PGI infra hasn’t been expanded?

The states in vicinity of Chandigarh should build up their own health infrastructure. But there is need to investigate as to why the PGI has failed to build new operation theatres, centres, labs, parking lots, houses, hostels and provide more facilities for patients despite availability of huge funds. CAG reports, faculty and staff agitations against the Engineering Department are evidences. A white paper needs to be published as to why restructuring as advised by experts referred by the PMO have not been implemented?

Dr JC Mehta, Chandigarh

Treatment at govt rates in Pvt hospitals

To reduce the patient load on hospitals in Chandigarh, the Punjab and Haryana governments needs to open more affordable tertiary care hospitals in Mohali and Panchkula. While there are good numbers of private hospitals in Mohali, but the treatment is far too expensive and out of reach of the common public. However, it may take years to create a good health infrastructure. As an interim arrangement, a few reputed private hospitals in Mohali and Panchkula should offer treatment at government approved affordable rates.

Raminder Bhatti, Chandigarh

Every state must have tertiary care hospital

Health and education are the fundamental rights of every citizen. Citizens pay taxes to the government to provide them best medical facilities. Why the government fails to provide enough beds, doctors and rooms for helpless poor patients? Why public money is wasted on election rallies and huge advertisement? Each state must have hospitals like the PGI and the AIIMS so that the rush of patients is minimised at one place.

Capt Amar Jeet (retd), Kharar

Open mohalla clinic for patients in states

The number of patients visiting the PGI and the GMCH-32 from other states has also gone up manifold. Need of the hour is to consider opening separate mohala clinics for treatment of primary category patients in all states. Patients, who are suffering from complicated diseases and require longer hospitalisation, should be admitted to base hospitals set up on the lines of Army hospitals at different locations in the country.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Segregate patients who are not critical

The situation cannot improve unless adjoining states improve their medical facilities. There should be guidelines of the neighbouring states health authorities that a patient should take prior approval before going to the PGI and the GMCH-32. Only those patients should be referred for treatment in Chandigarh, who cannot be treated in their own state. Also, a committee should be formed by the Chandigarh health authorities to segregate incoming patients, who are not critical, and can be treated at Civil Hospitals in the UT. Counsellors and NGOs can be roped in to handle the situation.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

Transfer OPDs to dispensaries

OPD should be transferred to dispensaries to reduce workload at tertiary care hospitals. More dispensaries can be set up in villages of states in Chandigarh’s vicinity to cater to patients. Alternatively, mohalla clinics should be set up on the pattern of Punjab. Retired doctors and nurses can render their services at the OPD. Every dispensary should have a medical shop for convenience of patients.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Increase doctor, patient ratio

It is being observed that apart from a lot many referred cases, patients from neighbouring places also prefer to visit these the PGI and the GMCH-32 as they have more of faith on these hospitals. Many people don’t prefer private hospitals and doctors working there. Under such circumstances the authorities concerned must increase the number of doctors and other necessary staff to cope up with the patients’ rush. However, in order to meet the increased costs for improving services, the charges including that for the registration, can be enhanced.

NPS Sohal, Ohio, US

No patient can be refused admission

It is understood that patients, who are referred by secondary hospitals in other states to the PGI and the GMCH-32, are serious and need specialised care. Refusing admission to such patients is not allowed as per the health guidelines. Rather, the number of emergency beds at both these hospitals should be increased by the authorities concerned. The Chandigarh Administration should contact the Central Government for extra funds to improve infrastructure in both hospitals for providing emergency services.

MR Bhateja, NayaGaon

States must have PGI-like hospitals

In most cases referrals are found unnecessary. Also state hospitals lack facilities similar to available at the PGI and the sector 32 hospital. All districts in neighbouring states of the UT must have at least one hospital with facilities similar to the PGI and GMCH-32. Referrals to Chandigarh hospitals from state hospitals without giving reasons and information about lack of equipment and service personnel should be banned.

Ashok Kumar Goel, Panchkula

Only serious patients should visit PGI, GMCH

It is true that neighbouring states are adding up to the patient load at the tertiary care hospitals in Chandigarh. It is a fundamental duty of the government to provide good health services to citizens. More hospitals should be opened by state governments. Patients should visit the PGI and the GMCH-32 only for the treatment of serious/chronic diseases.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

A lot needs to be done

The administration of the PGI and the GMCH-32 have failed to manage the patients’ rush, who turn up in hundreds for consultation and treatment. A lot needs to be done. More hospitals for minor ailments should be opened in states. More doctors should be appointed to tackle the issue. The health infrastructure at the PGI and the GMCH-32 is crumbling day by day. It’s really a pathetic state of affairs in all government hospitals.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

UT must take up issue with Centre

Chandigarh is capital of Punjab and Haryana. Tertiary care treatment is beyond the reach of the common man. The Chandigarh Administration and the Punjab and Haryana Governments should jointly take up the issue of patients rush at the PGI and the GMCH-32 with the Centre. More tertiary care hospitals must be opened in states. Besides, infrastructure of the PGI and the GMCH-32 must be upgraded to provide treatment to residents of Punjab, Haryana, UT and neighbouring states.

Col Balbir Mathauda (Retd), Chandigarh

Recruit more doctors, staff for hospitals

Referrals from neighbouring states are adding up to the patient load at the PGIMER and the GMCH-32. The pressure from other states is taking a toll on the health facilities at emergency wings of these hospitals, which are facing shortage of beds. To minimise patients load at territory care hospitals, more doctors and staff must be recruited. More infrastructure should be provided at both hospitals. Besides, more beds must be provided in emergency wings.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Deal with serious patients only

There is no doubt that the PGIMER is a premier medical research institute All private as well as government hospitals in the UT and neighbouring states of Punjab, Himachal and Haryana should be made self-sufficient in order to cater to patients having primary medical issues. Only serious patients, who require surgeries, should visit the PGI and the GMCH-32. Also, the cost of treatment is to be kept under check in private hospitals of neighbouring states.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Improve infra at health care centres

Improving infrastructure of primary health care centres will definitely reduce the patient load of the tertiary care hospitals. Actually, the need of the hour is free or low cost health treatment of all citizens. Only critical patients requiring special treatment should be referred to the PGI and the GMCH-32 if deemed necessary by doctors in state hospitals. It is quite imperative that the neighbouring states should improve their health care infrastructure.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Centre can resolve health care issues

Every state should have its own hospitals like the PGI and the GMCH-32. Hospitals in all districts of states neighbouring Chandigarh should be upgraded. The central government has a vital role to play in solving health care related issues. Also, tertiary care hospitals cannot refuse admission to patients coming from other states.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Pachkula

Reserve 10-15% beds for outstation patients

The authorities in the UT, Mohali and Panchkula can reserve 10 to 15 per cent beds for critical patients from other states so as to handle the emergency situations amicably and ensure local residents get treatment well in time. Also on holidays, the administration can direct the hospital authorities to have special OPDs in the UT on rotational basis for outstation patients by giving suitable incentives to the medical staff. Last but not the least, patients from other states should be entertained at the PGI and the GMCH-32 only on the recommendations of government hospitals in neighbouring states and not private ones.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

Health care sector needs major overhaul

A paradigm shift, which involves a major overhaul of the health sector, is required to minimise the patient overload at the PGI and GMCH-32. An extreme shortage of specialists and infrastructure is a major impediment in providing treatment to patients of neighboring states. A firm underpinning of health care system propped up with advanced infrastructure, allocation of more funds from the government to upgrade medical facilities and equipment can change the landscape of health care sector and minimise the patient load.

Vijay Kumar, Chandigarh

Open primary health care centres

People from neighbouring states come to the PGI and the GMCH-32 for treatment. That puts pressure on the health care infrastructure of the UT and leads to shortage of beds in emergencies and OPDs of the tertiary care hospitals. The administration should open more hospitals in the UT. The central government can open such big hospital in states also. Hospitals can open primary health care centres where doctors can check patients and advice they need treatment at tertiary care hospitals.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

Shows failure of state governments

High patient load at the PGI and the GMCH-32 shows the failure of governments concerned to build a health care infrastructure good enough that patients could trust in their own states. New hospitals should be opened in states. Focus should be on the primary and secondary health care hospitals across states. Bed capacity and infrastructure should be increased there. Medical facilities on par with tertiary care hospitals should be provided in states.

Khushkaran Singh, Chandigarh

Entertain patients referred by hospitals

The best way to reduce patient load at the PGI and GMCH-32 is to open satellite health care centres and focus on telemedicine. Central government should open more PGI and GMCH-32 like hospitals in states adjoining Chandigarh. The authorities should increase beds in the ICUs and other wards. Patients referred by hospitals in other states should only be entertained.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Refer only serious patients to PGI

The lack of infrastructure, equipment, testing facilities, medical specialists and shortage of doctors in neighbouring states has increased patient load at the PGI and the GMCH-32 in Chandigarh. The PGI handles 10,000 patients every day at its OPDs. The attitude of doctors and staff to avoid and treat patients at district and primary health care centres has also aggravated the problem. Only serious patients in neighbouring states should be referred for treatment at tertiary care hospitals in Chandigarh.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

Local residents at receiving end

Residents of Chandigarh and neighbouring areas face a lot of problem in case of medical emergency due to huge rush of outstation patients and non-availability of beds in the UT’s tertiary care hospitals. This is despite the fact that all neighbouring states have well established tertiary care hospitals. In view of limited capacity to cope up with the patients’ rush, the authorities should not allow admission of patients from neighbouring states, which have AIIMS like medical facilities.

RPS Chopra, Chandigarh

Provide more funds to hospitals in states

It has been witnessed that patients’ footfall has gone up at the PGI and the GMCH-32 due to which the quality of treatment has been affected. The Centre must provide more funds to upgrade infrastructure of hospitals in neighbouring states. Moreover, minor ailments and illnesses should be treated at primary health care centres and district hospitals in states.

Navdeep Singh, Chandigarh

Let the PGI be a referral institute

In fact, the PGI, originally was conceived as a referral institute, but with time it has become a general hospital. The testimony to this fact is that in PGI OPDs, 10,000 patients are examined daily besides several hundred in the emergency. This proves the fact that the neighbouring states have not provided medical facilities on par with the PGI. For smooth working and to maintain the original status of the PGI, the patients’ footfall should be limited. Further, neighbouring states should also have hospitals like the PGI and the GMCH-32.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

QUESTION

Should the administration come up with a one-time settlement policy for all sorts of building violations in residential, commercial and industrial areas of the City Beautiful?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com