Agra: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is meant to treat critically ill patients, and is supposed to be the highly sanitized area of the hospital. But it is not the case with SN Medical College, where the ICU in the medicine department looks nothing better than any general ward. There is no restriction on people's movement and even attendants of critically ill patients are often seen sitting on their beds.
Moreover, the critical care ward lacks many important facilities like ventilators, monitors for keeping a constant tab on heart beat and other vital body functions.
A senior doctor on condition of anonymity said that critical ill patients, with low immunity are admitted to this ward and such an unhygienic condition increases the chances of contacting chest infection. "Other water and air borne infections are also very common among them which further complicate the matter. Unfortunately, even the doors of ICU are never closed and anyone can enter anytime inside the ICU," the doctor added.
The ICU is not air conditioned and one can even see rats roaming, the doctor further said. Such is the dilapidated condition of the ward that two ICU cabins have been closed due to plaster falling from the ceiling. At present, 10 beds are available for patients.
Unfortunately, this is not only the story of the ICU ward of the medicine department. The building that houses the medicine department is likely to crumble in the event of an earthquake.
The Public Works Department (PWD) blacklisted the building as a 'condemned' one in 2012. A building once termed 'condemned' by the PWD is not suitable for any use and should be demolished immediately.
The department of medicine treats 5,000 patients in its in-patient department annually, whereas 500 are seen every day in its OPDs.
The department blames the security guards, who are supposed to man the doors and control movements for never being present to do their job.
When contacted, college principal Ajay Agarwal accepted the prevailing condition of the department and said more critical patients are admitted to the ICU of surgery department. He added that the hospital is in the process of hiring guards on contract basis.
He informed that the medicine department would be shifted in the building where surgery department is located. "A new building has been built for the surgery department. Once they are vacated, the department of medicine will move into that building," he said.
Moreover, the critical care ward lacks many important facilities like ventilators, monitors for keeping a constant tab on heart beat and other vital body functions.
A senior doctor on condition of anonymity said that critical ill patients, with low immunity are admitted to this ward and such an unhygienic condition increases the chances of contacting chest infection. "Other water and air borne infections are also very common among them which further complicate the matter. Unfortunately, even the doors of ICU are never closed and anyone can enter anytime inside the ICU," the doctor added.
The ICU is not air conditioned and one can even see rats roaming, the doctor further said. Such is the dilapidated condition of the ward that two ICU cabins have been closed due to plaster falling from the ceiling. At present, 10 beds are available for patients.
Unfortunately, this is not only the story of the ICU ward of the medicine department. The building that houses the medicine department is likely to crumble in the event of an earthquake.
The Public Works Department (PWD) blacklisted the building as a 'condemned' one in 2012. A building once termed 'condemned' by the PWD is not suitable for any use and should be demolished immediately.
The department of medicine treats 5,000 patients in its in-patient department annually, whereas 500 are seen every day in its OPDs.
The department blames the security guards, who are supposed to man the doors and control movements for never being present to do their job.
When contacted, college principal Ajay Agarwal accepted the prevailing condition of the department and said more critical patients are admitted to the ICU of surgery department. He added that the hospital is in the process of hiring guards on contract basis.
He informed that the medicine department would be shifted in the building where surgery department is located. "A new building has been built for the surgery department. Once they are vacated, the department of medicine will move into that building," he said.
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