BMC officials held a surprise inspection, after which they suspended one nurse for misbehaviour, transferred three and issued notices to 10 others
The TB hospital in Sewri. File Pic
It's not just doctors, but patients, too, who depend on nurses — the caregivers, an important cog in the whole medical machinery. Hence, it came as quite a shock to the ill when nurses at the Sewri TB hospital allegedly harassed a few patients, including children, so much so that the six patients had to leave the hospital on Sunday.
Following this, civic officials held a surprise inspection, after which they suspended one nurse for misbehaviour, transferred three and issued notices to 10 others. After much pandemonium and protests, all six patients who had to leave were readmitted yesterday.
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Relatives see red
Waheed Khan, father of a 12-year-old girl suffering from TB, told mid-day, "Her condition was very bad, so doctors instructed immediate admission, but the nurses refused. After she was admitted, they started harassing her, depriving her of a clean bed and even medicines. When we complained, they started threatening us that they would inject her with harmful things. We got so scared that we took her back home on Sunday, but her condition deteriorated further."
"They force patients to sleep and switch off the lights, which scares the children. They also misbehave with us and push us outside," said Sudhir Mehta, relative of another child forced to leave on Sunday.
Kaleem Saeed, who admitted his TB-striken sister, said, "My sister is so sick that she can't even move. But the way the nurses behaved with her, we were shocked."
While the BMC health department is looking into the matter, Dr Lalit Anande, chief medical officer of the hospital, said, "This hospital is for patients. It's their right to get the best treatment and hospitality. Doctors, nurses and staff, including me, are servants who are paid salaries to serve them. It pains me that my patients left because they were threatened. I have informed the DMC and joint HO and EHO about this. I want an inquiry conducted."
Insensitive approach
A senior doctor at the hospital said, "Most of the staffers are not sensitive to patients' needs. If we take a step against them, they start threatening us. In fact, the nurse union has become very strong here."
mid-day had reported about the issue on September 21 — hospital officials complaining about medicos not being sensitised, which often leads to patients discontinuing treatment midway. Several relatives protested outside the hospital. Dr Santosh Revankar, deputy executive health officer, BMC, also visited the hospital and gave an ultimatum to the staffers.
Incognito inspection
Idzes Kundan, additional municipal commissioner (health), said she conducted a surprise inspection at the hospital, taking a round to check staffers' behaviour. "I won't tolerate any union in my hospital that may affect the patients. If anyone dies due to staff indiscipline, I will file an FIR against them. This hospital is different from others, and staffers can't behave like this with patients who are on their deathbed," she said.
"When I went to the paediatric department, I saw how nurses and other staffers not only misbehaved with patients but also with doctors, who are working 24/7 for the sick, putting themselves at risk of infection. I saw a nurse misbehaving with a child, so I issued an order to suspend her immediately. She needs a lesson on how to talk to children. I have also issued order of transfer of three nurses, and 10 others have been served notices."
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