Sir Ganga Ram Hospital faces lack of facilities

Doctor says two to three patients sharing one bed at hospital

LAHORE: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, once the de facto standard for children’s treatment and gynaecology, is the facility now where patients are suffering due to the lack of basic health facilities.

A 550-bed facility located in the provincial capital is among the five biggest public hospitals. The hospital gained traction for its gynaecology ward, which is among the biggest units in the entire province. Approximately 5,000 people visit the hospital everyday.

A doctor who works at the hospital on the condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune that it seems as though the Punjab health department is feigning ignorance over the issues the hospital face. “No one is taking notice of the overall lack of hygiene or the problems faced by the patients. There is also a dearth of basic facilities such as beds. More often than not, two to three patients are forced to share a single hospital bed.”

However, when contacted, the Punjab health department official claimed that they have taken notice of the issues at the hospital and are trying their best to address them.



“We received complaints from several citizens. In this connection, the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Saqib Zafar visited the hospital and directed the medical superintendent to take an interest in the matters, said sources from the health department.

The MS was also told to address the lack of hygiene in the different wards, while also making sure that health facilities are available round-the-clock, they revealed.

“We may even transfer the medical superintendent in the coming days; it is our mission to provide citizens with the best healthcare facilities,” the sources added.

Meanwhile, the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Medical Superintendent stated that all administrative affairs at the facility were under control. “We are repairing the echocardiography machines which will soon be functional,” he maintained.

However, once a highly-regarded of healthcare facility, the hospital has fallen victim to a host of problems made worse by the ignorance of the Punjab government. The two echocardiography machines at the hospital are out of order, forcing patients to seek out private and therefore more expensive hospitals.

In addition to this, free-of-cost medicines are only available for those with influence; most patients complain that there is an overall shortage of medication. Citizens are also unable to gain access to a CT scan or an MRI.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2018.