The emergency ward at ANMMCH is facing a significant increase in patient numbers daily, resulting in a severe shortage of beds. Patients often have to search for a bed after receiving initial treatment such as IV fluids. The lack of adequate facilities means patients are being treated on beds, stretchers, tables, and even chairs. In cases of critically ill patients, staff are left scrambling to find space.
The emergency ward, which has a capacity of 80 beds, including 20 ICU beds, saw 144 patients admitted on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, 108 patients had already been registered for treatment, with the evening and night still to come. Accommodating such a high number of patients on just 80 beds is proving to be an impossible task. The ortho ward also faces similar challenges, with more patients than beds available, leading to confrontations between patients’ relatives and hospital staff.
Every day, the in-charge nurses, doctors, and other staff members face conflicts with patients’ relatives. Complaints are regularly submitted to the hospital administration, and interventions from district officials or local representatives are often required to address patients’ treatment needs.
Hospital sources indicate that until the number of beds in the emergency ward is increased, the situation will not improve. For instance, the OPD departments saw 1,353 patients on Wednesday and 1,423 on Thursday, many of whom required surgery or ortho admissions, further straining the hospital’s resources.
