<p>Ward boys and sweepers were found to be giving stitches and injections to critically wounded people at a government hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahar district, about 450 kilometres from here, much to the embarrassment of health officials.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The matter came to light after some local TV channels aired visuals showing a sweeper giving stitches to a critically injured boy, who was writhing in pain while the attendants held him tightly at Babu Banarasi Das Government Hospital in the district. A ward boy was also shown giving injections. The hospital administration, quite brazenly, said that the man shown in the visuals giving stitches was an employee of the hospital and, though not a doctor, he has been giving primary treatment to the patients in the absence of specialist doctors. “He is trained…he knows how to give stitches,” said Dr Danu, the chief medical officer, when queried in this regard.<br /><br />UP health minister Ahmed Hasan also defended the hospital authorities though he ordered a probe. “I have been told that there was a major road accident at Bulandshahar a few days ago and many people had been injured. The entire staff of the hospital chipped in to provide medical aid to the injured…we should appreciate that,” Hasan said on Tuesday.<br /><br />The minister, however, said that he had ordered a probe after receiving the reports. “Stern action will be taken against those found guilty. Such incidents bring bad name to the state,” he said. <br />Interestingly, the person, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of investigating the reports, said that he had not seen the visuals but had started a probe. <br /><br />“I am investigating the matter,” additional director of health Dr V K Sharma.<br />According to the health department sources here, the hospital has 23 doctors on its rolls. The incident reflects the state of affairs of health services in UP which witnessed a huge scam in the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission scheme.<br /><br />A few months ago, auxiliary nurse midwives were found engaged in delivery of babies under candlelight as there was no power and the generator was out of order at a community health centre in Barabanki district. <br /><br />The hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent Shishir Kumar claimed: “ The clip that is being shown on TV, the ward boy in it has even worked in the OT (operation theatre) for 10 years. Apart from that, his duty is there in the dressing room as well. He’s perfectly trained for dressing purposes.<br /><br />“The one who is being called cleaning boy is only cutting the thread in the course of stitching. The ward boy doing the stitching is trained. I am standing there, if you see the clip. It is happening in my supervision,” he said.<br /></p>
<p>Ward boys and sweepers were found to be giving stitches and injections to critically wounded people at a government hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahar district, about 450 kilometres from here, much to the embarrassment of health officials.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The matter came to light after some local TV channels aired visuals showing a sweeper giving stitches to a critically injured boy, who was writhing in pain while the attendants held him tightly at Babu Banarasi Das Government Hospital in the district. A ward boy was also shown giving injections. The hospital administration, quite brazenly, said that the man shown in the visuals giving stitches was an employee of the hospital and, though not a doctor, he has been giving primary treatment to the patients in the absence of specialist doctors. “He is trained…he knows how to give stitches,” said Dr Danu, the chief medical officer, when queried in this regard.<br /><br />UP health minister Ahmed Hasan also defended the hospital authorities though he ordered a probe. “I have been told that there was a major road accident at Bulandshahar a few days ago and many people had been injured. The entire staff of the hospital chipped in to provide medical aid to the injured…we should appreciate that,” Hasan said on Tuesday.<br /><br />The minister, however, said that he had ordered a probe after receiving the reports. “Stern action will be taken against those found guilty. Such incidents bring bad name to the state,” he said. <br />Interestingly, the person, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of investigating the reports, said that he had not seen the visuals but had started a probe. <br /><br />“I am investigating the matter,” additional director of health Dr V K Sharma.<br />According to the health department sources here, the hospital has 23 doctors on its rolls. The incident reflects the state of affairs of health services in UP which witnessed a huge scam in the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission scheme.<br /><br />A few months ago, auxiliary nurse midwives were found engaged in delivery of babies under candlelight as there was no power and the generator was out of order at a community health centre in Barabanki district. <br /><br />The hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent Shishir Kumar claimed: “ The clip that is being shown on TV, the ward boy in it has even worked in the OT (operation theatre) for 10 years. Apart from that, his duty is there in the dressing room as well. He’s perfectly trained for dressing purposes.<br /><br />“The one who is being called cleaning boy is only cutting the thread in the course of stitching. The ward boy doing the stitching is trained. I am standing there, if you see the clip. It is happening in my supervision,” he said.<br /></p>
