Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Oct 4: The direct impact of the strike called by workers of National Health Mission (NHM) has fallen on the newborns at Lady Goschen hospital of the city. Due to shortage of staff, some newborns have been shifted to a private hospital.
NHM workers have been on strike for the past 10 days urging the government to fulfil various demands. This has impacted most of the works of the health department. Works like treatment of newborns, installing ventilators and intensive care unit were taken care by these workers. Now, due to the absence of these workers, there is an acute shortage of staff in the newborn baby section.
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As it is difficult for other staff to shoulder the responsibilities of the newborn section, it is gathered that, the newborns from both Lady Goschen and Wenlock hospitals are shifted to private hospitals. However, the medical authorities of both hospitals have denied this.
One parent of a newborn, who was shifted to a private hospital from Lady Goschen said, "Newborn babies are being sent to private hospitals under Ayushman Bharath scheme. Only hospital bills are covered under the scheme. All the expenses of pharmacy has to be borne by us. The number of days we are in hospital our food expenses also have to be borne by us. If the documents are not proper even the hospital bill is not paid to us. As we are short of funds, we do not know what to do as poor people like us depend on Wenlock and Lady Goschen hospitals for medical treatment."
According to a source in Lady Goschen hospital, there are 40 beds and 13 ventilators in the newborn babies section. There are 20 NHM workers in the intensive care unit. In a span of past nine days, 25 to 30 newborns have been shifted to private hospitals.
In the newborn section of Wenlock hospital, there are 18 beds and five ventilators. However, the information of the number of newborns shifted to private hospital from Wenlock is not available.
Dr Durgaprasad, acting medical superintendent, Lady Goschen government hospital said, "Newborns are not being shifted to private hospital from Lady Goschen. We will offer all the available treatement and facilities. Only if needed we sent the newborns to private hospitals. If we are short of staff, we will make arrangements internally."
Dr Sadananda Shanubhogue, medical superintendent of Wenlock hospital said, "We are still getting newborns admitted to our newborn babies section. Available staff are managing the department. Only babies with serious complications might have been asked to be taken to private hospitals but not all."