Critical patient told to go to a “bigger hospital” by rude GDMC hospital medicos, kinfolks allege

MANSI BHAMBRI/Dehradun

Serious lapses in the Emergency department at Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) hospital, the State’s biggest government medical college hospital have come to the fore after a critically ill elderly patient was allegedly denied admission for two days and made to shuttle between emergency and OPD without ambulance support. At a time when incidents of patients dying due to delayed treatment or alleged shirking of responsibility by staff are becoming frequent, the GDMC incident is a wakeup call, especially for the department and minister concerned.

On Tuesday, the patient’s condition deteriorated while his family alleged that the Emergency department had been refusing admission for the past two days on the pretext of “no vacant bed”.  The patient’s son Manish Kumar, resident of Rajpur Road, said that his father has been severely ill for the past few days and unable to eat. “For two days my mother took my father to GDMC Hospital emergency and pleaded for admission, but doctors and staff refused, saying there is no bed,” he alleged. On Tuesday morning, with no treatment, his father’s condition worsened. When his mother again reached emergency, instead of admitting him, officials sent them to OPD for consultation.

Kumar said his mother visited the OPD, where the doctor examined and advised immediate admission in the Emergency department. Despite being advised emergency admission, no ambulance was provided for a few minutes to shift the patient from the OPD building to the emergency building. They were finally sent by an auto to the emergency for treatment.

Kumar further alleged that even after reaching the Emergency department, a junior female doctor told them there was no bed and asked them to take the patient to some big hospital. An argument also broke out between the intern doctor and the family. “We don’t have enough money to go to a private hospital. Government hospitals are meant for people like us,” Kumar said. After repeated requests and intervention, the patient was finally admitted in the emergency.

When contacted, GDMC principal Dr Geeta Jain termed the matter serious and a cause for concern. She attributed the behaviour to possible frustration among intern and PG doctors due to the ongoing strike. “This should not have happened. I will direct all doctors and emergency staff that every patient reaching the hospital must be provided treatment. Such behaviour will not be tolerated in future,” she said.