Lack of public transport hits footfall at district hospital, administration to approach RTO

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun 

The lack of public transport has impacted patient footfall at Deen Dayal Upadhyay district hospital. Many patients have expressed concerns over the difficulty faced in reaching the hospital due to inadequate connectivity, resulting in some choosing to seek treatment elsewhere. In response, the hospital administration plans to write to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of Dehradun division, requesting intervention to address this issue and explore the possibility of introducing public transport services to the hospital.

The challenge of accessing the district hospital by public transport has been a longstanding problem for patients seeking treatment. Patient Vimla Dixit said that she lives far from the district hospital. She struggles to reach the facility due to the absence of public transport. “If my son is free, then I try to visit the district hospital; otherwise, I sometimes opt for another hospital,” she said. She said that as this is a government hospital, public transport facilities should be available to patients.

“I used to come to the district hospital for treatment, but not only I, many other patients have expressed concerns over the lack of public transport to reach the hospital. We face numerous difficulties just reaching this hospital. The authorities must take action to resolve this issue,” stated another patient, Gita Kumari (name changed).

Commenting on this situation, the principal medical superintendent of the hospital Dr Manu Jain said that from last year, patient footfall has increased due to efforts of the hospital administration. The footfall at the outpatient department (OPD) has risen by 10 to 15 per cent and inpatient department (IPD) admissions have risen by 15 per cent as well. This increase is attributed to a reduction in referral cases, which has boosted patient trust, alongside beautification efforts at the hospital and other initiatives. However, Jain acknowledged that the lack of public transport continues to affect patient numbers. He informed that the hospital administration will write to the RTO to address the matter and seek a solution for public transport access to the district hospital.