AGARTALA, October 5 (TIWN): Thanks to the teachers and doctors of Obstetrics & Gynecology department of Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) and GBP Hospital sets an instance to re-gain the morale of health service providers when always it has been in the headlines for wrong reasons.Along with chaotic schedule, doctors and nurses decorated all three units of the department, housing about 300 patients at the beginning of Sharad festival on Tuesday to welcome the new born babies.Decoration in and outside of the department and cleaning of the units including toilets by the staff and doctors, had swear to welcome all patients in smiling face and provide best service despite limited resources,” said Associate Professor and manager of the department Dr Jayanta Roy.

 Dr Roy however, stated along with teaching medication to the students and future doctors, the department has been desperately trying to develop the skill of the practitioners for dealing with the patients at highest level of acceptance.

The behavior and dealing of the medicos and non-medicos of the department, turned hospital unit as sweet home for 25 –yrs old Puspa Rani Das who had admitted in the hospital with advance stage of pre-marital pregnancy in 2010.

Puspa has been treated in the department and for re-building her mental makeup after delivery she was given psychological therapy in the department itself. After her recovery, nobody came to take back.

Doctors contacted homes but response was not proper and finally she has been staying in a bed, getting food from the hospital and other amenities from the doctors for past four years.

“Puspa called an elderly nurse as her mother and doctors as father and sometimes when situation demands she now helped other patients in the bed and escorting mothers even to toilets,” said Purnima Das, a sister of AGMC adding that O&G department has become an inspiration for all of us though serving there is very tedious with skeleton staff.

This time also teachers, doctors and staff have gifted her new dresses, foods and her other demands on the first day of Durga puja in the department like previous years, she said and added: “Smile on her face made us overwhelmed and gave us unexplained joy.”      

“Patients always want best service in the hospital and in most of the cases; they could not understand our limitations in terms of infrastructure and manpower in the hospital. Similarly, we are also sometimes failing to understand the sentiment of the patients and could not welcome them in the spirit that the lady comes to us with the faith that doctors will show the earth to her new born,” Dr Roy maintained.

This is for the first time, the department mobilised the students and intern doctors to create an ambience in the department where expecting mothers and newly tagged mothers should feel they are not away from home to celebrate Sharad festival, he pointed.

“The attempt is made for better understanding of both doctors and patients and one should feel for others and for the upcoming doctors it is a part of their social curriculum; so that whenever and wherever they interact with the patients, it should create any misunderstanding to avoid any unintended incident,” Dr Roy added.

Reiterating the voice of Dr Roy, an intern, doesn’t want to be quoted said, “I am indebted to the teachers, doctors and sisters in O&G department. I was unhappy at the beginning of my posting but now I feel, I have taught more than I learnt in 5 –yrs of MBBS course.”   

He however, underlined the mismanagement of the higher ups of the health services and the attitude of the health department towards the development of the hospital and new doctors.      

As many as 200 mothers delivered baby in the hospital safely during first two days of Durga puja and most disgusting is that all the expecting mothers were referred to AGMC from all district hospitals even from state referral hospital IGM despite having all infrastructures during puja.

“We have only 60 beds in the department but we arranged additional 60 for the mothers but when it crosses all were compelled to provide bed for new born babies and mother on floor despite knowing the facts there is every chances of serious infection. When the matter was taken up with top bosses their reaction was most disappointing and insulting for us,” he alleged.

Unless the management change their attitude towards the doctors and take institutional initiatives to the patients at least to ensure minimum amenities in the hospitals, no project or central govt funding can improve the situation, the upset intern attributed.

With seven doctors all together, five nurse and age old OT and bed, if AGMC can treat 200 mothers without any objection why IGM with nine doctors and 12 nurses and all the district hospitals with sufficient doctors and staff could not provide the minimum service to their limited patient and the department did not say anything to them, he questioned.

“The authority could not provide us good food, canteen and even water supply in the hostel but running hospital with all interns and PG students and not appointing doctors at mid level to guide us during odd hours, why Medical Council of India (MCI) allowed this government to run the college,” he asked.