State of hospital emergency services

This brings us to the more fundamental question as to how equipped the emergency wards of our major hospitals are to handle life threatening situation arising out of road accidents, fall from a certain height, gun fights, stab wounds and such other incidents. The usual practice is that emergency wards are staffed by junior doctors who are capable of treating minor injuries. Whenever a case of serious injury comes specialists are called for. However the reality is that specialists are mostly non-resident doctors and never come unless the patient is important enough. If by chance they come, it is generally at their own sweet time. Meanwhile the patient generally succumbs to his or her wounds. If the injury is caused by bullet or any other type of lethal weapon most private hospitals refuse to accept the patient fearing their subsequent involvement in some court case. In that case the patients die while running from one hospital to another.

In reality, therefore, there is practically no facility for emergency treatment of a seriously wounded patient in most of our city hospitals. The situation in the districts is better left to the imagination.

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We therefore urge the ministry of health to immediately constitute a task force and investigate as to the present status of emergency facilities available in all the major hospitals of the country. After a proper assessment it should bring about a total overhaul in the system of emergency treatment in tune with the need of the people. We think many lives can be saved through this measure.