Government maternity homes under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are facing a shortage of doctors, and are unable to provide facilities like Intensive Care Units (ICU).
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has shut down seven maternity homes out of 26 as they are in need of repair. The Chief Health officer of the BBMP added that these homes also lack facilities like adequate number of beds, Intensive Care Units (ICU) and sonography.
Venkatesh, a citizen staying near Thimmaiah road maternity home said, “Thimmaiah hospital was the only government hospital near us, but for the past three years it has been closed for construction purposes, so we have to go to Ulsoor referral hospital.”
Kavita, staff from Chickpete maternity home said that last year the maternity home was shut down and the women coming for delivery registration were shifted to the Srirampura referral hospital.
Balaji, an auto driver in Halasuru said, “I had to rush my wife to another hospital during her labor as they had no beds.” The hospital staff told Balaji, “We don’t have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), so shift the patient to H. Siddaiah referral hospital.”
A doctor working in Ulsoor hospital said, “Earlier, I was working in DJ Halli hospital, but even that maternity home was running with shortage of beds, lack of doctors.” She added, “I and only one other doctor were managing patients, there was a shortage of staff as well.”
The doctor also said, “Sometimes we face critical cases where the patient requires an Intensive Care Unit and the maternity home doesn’t have one, so we ask the patient to shift to Vani Vilas or Victoria hospital.”
A woman patient, visiting Ulsoor hospital said that she stays in Shivaji Nagar, and the nearest government hospital there was Thimmaiah, which is already half demolished. So, she visits Ulsoor for her checkup and delivery.
A doctor working in Kaveripura maternity home said, “We are facing a lack of doctors in government maternity homes and are asked to work in two to three different hospitals in the same zone.”
The Clinical Health Officer of BBMP said, “We will try to complete the repair of the maternity homes soon and will look after the shortage of doctors in the maternity homes, and also by providing proper facilities for the patients.”
However, experts say that government maternity homes should have some basic facilities. “They should have at least 30 beds and basic lab test facilities. It might not be possible to provide ICU in every maternity home but sonogram checking rooms should be built. If a patient has registered for labor delivery and requires urgent treatment, then no maternity home can deny treatment as it can harm the patient’s health,” said a Public Health Professor at Rajarajeshwari Medical College.
