Patients’ woes continue: Is Administration waiting for more deaths? :::: Seven Patients at Diglipur denied Boarding by Captain of M.V Katchal

 

D J Venkatesh

Diglipur, May 02:  Last week Andaman Sheekha had reported that how mismanagement in Directorate of Shipping Services had claimed life of a pre-mature baby at Diglipur Island. But instead of learning from past mistakes, the Directorate of Shipping Service is making things further difficult for public, especially patients, who are referred to Port Blair from remote Islands.

M.V Katchal was scheduled to sail for Port Blair from Diglipur on 1^st May 2013. According to the sources there were seven patients waiting at the jetty without tickets to board the vessel. As tickets are always in high demand in Diglipur due to lack of ferry vessels in Port Blair- Diglipur route, it has become a trend in Diglipur that those patients, who don’t get ticket, reach the Jetty and board the ship, paying 100 percent penalty.

For these seven patients, the Shipping Counter In-charge of Diglipur, Mr. Harshit Sarkar was also ready to provide tickets to the patients, with 100 percent penalty but the Captain of the vessel reportedly did not allow those patients to board the vessel, for reasons best known to him. As stranded passengers and patients were fuming, Mr. Harshit immediately, informed the authorities about the issue over the telephone from Ariel Bay Jetty.

Among the seven patients there was also an expecting mother and all the seven patients were referred by CHC Diglipur to G.B Pant Hospital, Port Blair. Upon knowing about the incident crowd gathered at the Ariel Bay jetty along with the leaders of the Youth Congress and started agitating against DSS.

Soon Dr. Vivek Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur reached the spot and requested the Captain to halt for some time so that he can take up the matter with  the higher authorities but the Captain of the vessel did not care about anything and the vessel sailed at 9:00 PM without taking the patients.

Mr. Vivek Kumar reported this matter to Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, North and Middle Andaman. Mr. Sanjay took up the matter with the Shipping Secretary and finally the vessel came back to Ariel Bay Jetty at about 10:15 PM to take the patients onboard and after that it again sailed again for Port Blair.

According to the sources the pregnant lady delivered her child in the vessel during the sailing. The vessel however, reached Port Blair at about 9:00 AM today.

The incident shows that how insensitive the Shipping Department has become towards serious patients and general public.  This incident also shows how much ship journey is popular among public and also patients.

The shipping department after the recent incident of the death of the pre-mature infant had informed Andaman Sheekha that M.V Dering will be deployed for Diglipur and now M.V Dering is going to sail for Diglipur every Thursday at 5:00 Pm. M.V Dering has six Cabins which will be very beneficial for the patients and the senior citizens, public expects.

Mr. J. Boby, General Secretary, Youth Congress talking to Andaman Sheekha stated that “Unless the DHS resume the services of X-Ray, CT scan and sends specialized Doctors like Orthopedic & Gynecologists, the problem of referred patients will remain same for years and years.. Moreover M.V Dering sailing schedule should be properly publicized through press for awareness of the General public.”