E Arun

Port Blair, Jan 16: An Advocacy workshop for media persons on Pulse Polio Immunization was organised by the State Health Education Bureau at Ayush Hospital today.

Addressing the gathering Dr. Avijit Ray, Deputy Director (Health) of Directorate of Health Services, said that the Medical world is expecting that by 2014 India will be getting Polio- Free status.

“Since last four years all the stool samples of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases from these islands have shown negative results and according to norms if the AFP samples of any state show negative result for four continuous years then the area is declared as polio-free zone,” Deputy Director (Health) of Directorate of Health Services Dr Avijit Roy told media today.

The Dy. Director added that this year the Health Department of Andaman and Nicobar Administration has send only one samples of stool and it was given negative results. Since last nine years, we haven’t detected any Polio cases in these islands.” Dr. Avijit Roy said. The AFP samples are being sent under the National Polio Surveillance Project, which is a collaborative project of Govt, of India & the World Health Organization! The goal is to ensure that no child will ever again suffer from the crippling effects of polio in entire world.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus poliovirus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter
of hours. It can strike at any age, but affects mainly children under three, Polio is mainly passed through person-to- person (i.e., feco-oral) contact, and infects persons who do not have immunity against the disease. There is no cure for polio, but the disease can be prevented by immunization with polio vaccine. Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) was developed in 1961 by Dr Albert Sabin; OPV is a highly effective, safe and inexpensive vaccine, and has been used in all countries of the world to achieve polio eradication.

“The main aim of the conference was to spread awareness about the Pulse Polio Immunization programme though media as it plays very important role.” Dr Tulsidasan said.

The Health Department of Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be launching its first round of Polio immunization Programme on 20th January 2013 and the second round will be held on 24th February 2013. But, uncontrolled influx of population in these remote islands has put more challenges for the local health department, which is also conducting Pulse Polio Immunization Programme in all the local ports. “Once we get polio-free status there are chances that we are asked to follow some strict guidelines by WHO for some years to maintain the status. In any case we are ready for it,” Dr Avijit Roy added.

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Dec 18: In name of controlling infection the Health Department is offering cattle class treatment to the patients, attendants and general public.

Though the G B Pant Hospital has two gates, one for entry and one for exit, for smooth movement of vehicles carrying patients and general public, the Medical Superintendent of G B Pant Hospital has now blocked both the gates for General public.

The Gate from the Marine foreshore road is already closed for public, but for weird reasons the same has been kept open, only for Doctors.

And now the entry from the OPD direction has also been blocked with the help of the security guards and a giant Iron Road Barrier.

The gate is always closed for public and no private vehicle is allowed beyond that point. As the gate occupies most of the road, there is hardly any space for public to go to the other side. Hence ladies, children and even patients have to jump from the side of parking area to reach to the other side. Those who try to lower their head and cross the barrier, often bang their head and get injuries.

There are more than two security guards, placed on duty near the gate but none of them open the gate for public and enjoy seeing public getting harassed and injured with the cattle class treatment. Often they sing songs to tease public.

However, for every staff of G B Pant the guards open up the gate, so that they don’t have to lower their head.

Why this double standard? Why such kind of cattle class treatment for general public in a government hospital? Are we living in a free country or still we are in living under Japanese rule?

Andaman Sheekha had tried to get version of the Health Department in all the issues but the versions are equally ‘irritating’ as these new rules are.

Hope, the Chief Secretary of the Lt. Governor will find some time to visit the hospital and try atleast once to cross the Iron Road Barrier, carrying luggage and food for patients, when the barrier is lowered. Only then top officials will be able understand the real pain of general public.

E Arun
Port Blair, Dec 14: While most of the mainland based hospitals have Air Conditioned Waiting Room for anxious and worried Attendants of OT patients, in G B Pant Hospital, the Hospital Management could only provide tiles and dusts.

Angry relatives of patients allege that outside the Operation Theatre (OT) they have to sit on the floor, like beggars, for hours waiting for any information from Doctors about the Operations.

However the Hospital Management justifies the move saying that chairs were removed to ensure that infection rate remains low.

“This has been done to prevent infections. Chairs are already available outside the X-ray room, dialysis ward, OPD etc,” was the explanation of the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Kusum Kunwar.

Luckily the MS did not say that to prevent infection chairs for attendants have been provided on the roof top of Cellular Jail.

G B Pant is not the only hospital in this whole world, where doctors are worried about infection. In every Mainland Hospital Attendants are allowed to sit in a well furnished waiting room outside the OTs, considering their feelings and emotions. Sadly in G B Pant the system is managed in different manner.

“How can a MS give such reply? It is inhumane to say that for attendants of patients, who are inside OT, the chairs have been provided in OPD Section,” said an angry attendant.

Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Dec 12: Here is a warning for serious Patients going to G B Pant Hospital at evening hour. Before entering the Atlanta Point Area the patient must call Traffic Police Department and the Medical Superintendent to know, which approach road to the hospital is open for them?

At evening hours the Cellular Jail road, remain jam packed with tourists vehicle and it takes more than 10 to 15 minutes to cross the Cellular Jail even for the vehicles, which carry serious patients while the foreshore road gate of G B Pant Hospital remain close for any kind of patients. According to super arrogant security guards “As per Medical Superintendent’s Order, this gate is open only for Doctors.”

Few weeks back when Andaman Sheekha Reporter highlighted this problem infront of Dy.S.P Traffic Mr. N Rasheed he said that Traffic Jawans are posted at the Cellular Jail Junction to deal with this issue but Andaman Sheekha can prove that just one day before the interview a 60 percent burnt patient had to wait for more than 10 minutes at the Cellular Jail Junction as the road was blocked by tourist vehicle. Sadly it took 10 precious minutes for police jawans to react. The patient is however died a few days back.

Suggestion of Mr. Rasheed for serious patient was simple, “Patient can use the foreshore road to enter inside the hospital.”
But when Andaman Sheekha Editor himself tried to enter inside the hospital with a patient this afternoon from foreshore road, the security guards did not allow the vehicle to enter Inside the hospital campus, saying that he has strict directions that only Doctors should be allowed from the Gate.

Now the Secretary of Health Service must tell general public that which road should be used by serious patients to enter inside the hospital? Can hospital management close one out of two gates for serious patients? Why one gate is kept open only for Doctors? Why this VVIP Treatment for Doctors? Is it a dictatorship? Why patients are not given first priority in the Hospital and why they are treated like cattle by unprofessional security guards? Will the Secretary of Health Department bother to reply without taking side of his department?

When Andaman Sheekha Editor called up the Medical Superintendent of G B Pant Hospital, Dr Kusum, her statement was contradictory to the statement of Dy. S.P (Traffic). “The Patient should come from the OPD gate and not from foreshore road gate,” was her reply. “Come to my chamber and talk,” she added.

However, within 5 minutes when Andaman Sheekha reporter reached her office, it was found that she was not in her chamber. “Madam was not feeling well so she left for today,” was the reply of a lady staff. This shows how committed and how serious the hospital management is towards welfare of patient.

One wonders whether infrastructure in a Hospital should be utilized for the convenience of patients or for the comfort of Doctors.