Sudden closure of CGHS hospital OT leaves pregnant mothers in uncertainty

As the Health Minister is busy in Bihar CGHS beneficiary pregnant women are running pillar to post to get their baby delivered  

Minister of Health J P Nadda must be unaware about the problems being faced by pregnant women back home in Delhi, as he’s busy in Bihar election.

The maternity patients of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), a 40-bedded hospital situated in south Delhi are forced to get admitted in private empanelled hospitals at the last moment of their pregnancy, for the delivery of a baby.

Not only Maternity but Obstetrics, Paediatrics and Genecology patients are also forced to go other hospitals for their surgeries.

“This story will tell you the pain and agony suffered by pregnant women, who happen to be beneficiaries of CGHS and that too at the heart of the national capital. The only operation theatre (OT) of an important hospital has been closed for the last one month as the instrument used to give anaesthesia to patients has gone dysfunctional. One part of it is not working.” said a source, who is privy to the development leading to closer of the OT.

He further informed that “cost of damaged part is only Rs. 91,000. Sanctioning power additional directors is Rs 2 lakh, who sits in the hospital premises itself. File related to approval of purchase of part is lying in the ministry. ”

“Some patients of CGHS are not too wealthy to afford the cost incurred in private hospitals. That is why they prefer to get treated by government doctors posted at CGHS hospital. In a welfare state like ours health schemes run by government are of benevolent in nature, so no money is required to deposit during the treatment.” another CGHS employee, who does not want to be named, remarked.

Women, who are pregnant or have maternity related problems visits here. In case of pregnant women, after taking eight month of treatment from doctors, who are posted are being asked (even to mothers who are expected to deliver their babies normally as they fear that in case of an emergency OT will not be available) to go to either another government hospitals or to the private hospitals which are empanelled with CGHS. In new hospitals patients get step-motherly treatment, as they are not their regular patients. Even more, they are forced to deposit a big sum of money prior to any treatment in a private hospital, which is a big financial burden for the family of a patient.

In reply to a text massage regarding purchase of said damaged part, India Samvad received a text reply of Direction CGHS Dr. DC Joshi, “I have sent it to AD MSD for procurement action.”