In the early hours of february 1, an aged citizen in our neighbourhood took
ill. We immediately dialled 108. The ambulance arrived after 30 minutes and
a para-medic, as if being led to the gallows, appeared in the room of the
patient. She attempted to lazily take the B.P. of the patient who was
throwing his arms around due to immense discomfort. The patient was then put
on the stretcher after almost 10 minutes and brought out to the ambulance
door while the para-medic seemed to have phoned some doctor for advise and
was heard conveying the symptoms and informing that the patient has
requested to be taken to GMC. Thereafter, the para-medic was suddenly
noticed to be in some state of hesistancy and discomfort trying to convey
that the patient is already brought to the ambulance. The para-medic seemed
hesitant to put the patient into the ambulance and was insisting with us
that we take him to a private clinic as GMC will not attend to the patient.
On seeing our unrelenting mood, the driver of the ambulance took the mobile
phone from the para-medic and conveyed the message that the patient is
already put in the ambulance. As if hesitantly, the patient was then shoved
in and we proceeded to GMC. All the way the para-medic made no attempts to
stabilise the patient but just sat unresponsive. Also take into account the
waste of time in shifting the patient from the home to the hospital.
The admission in the GMC casualty was quite smooth probably because there
was a good doctor on duty. The patient was then refered for CT scan. The GMC
attendant who wheeled the patient to the scan unit made no effort to put
the patient on the scan machine. We were lucky to be two men who had
accompagnied the patient and his daughter- in-law and home nurse. Then came
the dreadful moment when we noticed that the head rest of the CT scan had
fresh blood stains of the previous patient and the operator was trying to
place the head of our patient on the same head rest. What if it is blood of
a HIV infected patient? When we protested and asked him to clean the head
rest we were told that it could not be done. On finding that we were
agitated, a plastic carry bag which was lying on the side table was pulled
and put on the head rest. We just pretended to turn a blind eye lest the
patient suffer. There was no drinking water available and no water in the
toilets even to wash our hands.
After to and fro wheeling for the scan and X-ray, the patient was finally
wheeled to Ward No. 139. The ward attendant immediately put the linen on the
bed but did not provide a pillow. When asked for a pillow the answer was "We
do not have one. You will get it later in the day." On inisting for one, the
relative of the patient was given a pillow without a pillow cover. We were
also surprised to notice a female patient admitted in the male ward.
In the end, it was only a relief to be back home from such horrorful and
disgusting experiences of '108' and so called Government Medical College on
which crores of rupees of our tax payer's money is being spent in the name
of upgradation and super-speciality health care. Nothing can be expected to
change for the 'aam admi' as long as the attitude and motives of the
politicians and government health care staff does not change. But, the
minsiters and contractors will definitely be richer by a few crores at the
end of it all. Luckily the patient whose sugar level had dropped dangerously
low was out of danger due to our presence of mind in timely administering
home remedies as first aid. May God save us goans from the clutches of the
fast growing private-government medical terrorism!
-Soter D'Souza
Socorro
