Imagine a patient has been brought into the OT for an operation. With masks on their faces and gloves on their hands, doctors and nurses are ready for surgery with surgical instruments. Just then, heavy rain started outside. Immediately, water began dripping from the ceiling. As the rain increased, the water dripping also increased. As a result, the operation was stopped midway. Now imagine, this is not a picture of any day, this is reality. However. This is the daily scenario at Tarakeshwar Block Rural Hospital, and medical treatment is being disrupted as a result.
The allegation is that due to the poor condition of the OT room, doctors are forced to reschedule surgeries on most days during the rainy season. This puts patients in great trouble. Patients and their relatives report that when power cuts occur during OT operations at this hospital, darkness descends on the hospital premises. As a result, the hospital's emergency services have to be shut down. There is a generator room, but due to a lack of fuel, that generator is of no use now.
Doctors report that surgeries for expectant mothers are conducted in this OT three to four days a week. But due to the poor infrastructure, it has to be kept closed most days. The allegation is that due to cracks in the roof of the OT room at Tarakeshwar Rural Hospital for a long time, patients and doctors have been facing severe difficulties. Whenever it rains, water accumulates in most areas of the hospital. Water also accumulates in front of the OT room for hours. But officials from the lowest to the highest levels of the health department remain indifferent.
Hospital health officer Sheikh Hanif, acknowledging the water leakage in the OT room and generator problems, said the entire matter has been reported to the district health department. They have assured that quick measures will be taken to resolve this problem. Opposition parties are vocal about the hospital's mismanagement. BJP organizational district president Sushanta Bera sarcastically said, "The government is taking loans and spending money on sports, fairs, and club grants, yet ordinary people are not getting basic services when they go to government hospitals. Even when patients and doctors face problems, the government pays no attention. People are seeing all this. How long will they tolerate such things? We will launch a movement on this very soon."
Debiprasad Rakshit, working president of the standing committee of the public health and environment department of the district council, said, "This is a very old roof. The matter is under our attention. It will be repaired very soon." Regarding power outages, he said, "The health department has already arranged for a high-capacity generator. It will be installed very soon." Dismissing the opposition allegations, he said, "The opposition's job is to oppose, and the government's job is to develop."
People come to this rural hospital for medical services not only from Tarakeshwar block, but also from Dhanekhali, Haripal, Purshura blocks, and some parts of villages in the border areas of Bardhaman and Howrah districts. On average, more than three hundred people come to Tarakeshwar Rural Hospital for medical services every day. The poor condition of this hospital is increasing anger among ordinary people.
