Long Queues of Patients on Stretchers for Ultrasound, Untold Sufferings for the Sick
Bhagalpur: Amidst all the claims of improving healthcare services in government hospitals, images coming from a major health center in Bhagalpur are exposing the reality behind those official claims. Patients are being forced to lie on stretchers for hours waiting for an ultrasound (USG) scan. This scene of long queues in the hospital premises and people groaning in pain on stretchers reflects the apathy of the healthcare system.
A Scene of Pain and Helplessness
The situation outside the ultrasound department is heart-wrenching. After going through the rounds of the OPD, the real test for patients begins when they are advised to get an ultrasound. On one hand, there is heavy crowding, and on the other, due to limited resources and technical glitches, patients are being forced to wait for hours. Many patients are unable to walk and are being left lying on stretchers in the line for hours. Amidst the scorching heat and disorganization, the patience of the patients' families has started to run out.
The Cause of Chaos: What is the Real Problem?
According to sources and local residents, the main reasons for the mismanagement in the ultrasound department are as follows:
Technical Glitches: The ultrasound machines in the hospital are often faulty or very outdated, causing the pace of examinations to be extremely slow.
Shortage of Staff: Due to a severe shortage of radiologists or technicians, the examination process cannot be completed on time.
Overwhelming Pressure: Patients from the entire district and surrounding areas depend on this single center, causing the patient-to-resource ratio to be heavily skewed.
Administrative Claims vs. Ground Reality
Claims of "improvement" are made by the hospital management from time to time. Recently, there was talk of implementing a digital system and a token system, but on the ground, the situation remains unchanged. A woman standing in line, on the condition of anonymity, said, "We have been in line since 8:00 AM, it is now 2:00 PM, and our number hasn't come yet. There is no one here to listen to our grievances."
Treatment on Stretchers: A Compromise on Health Safety
Forcing patients to wait for hours on stretchers is not only inhumane but also increases the risk of infection. Keeping one patient after another on the same stretcher for hours is a violation of hygiene standards. Many patients are battling serious illnesses and require urgent diagnosis, but the sluggishness of the system could prove fatal.
The Question of Administrative Accountability
Local residents and social activists say that the Health Department must take immediate cognizance of this situation.
Alternative Arrangements: When a machine is out of order or the crowd is excessive, cannot the facility of alternative centers be provided to the patients?
Additional Resources: If the patient load is high, cannot the problem be solved through the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode or by installing additional machines?
The families have clearly stated that they do not want mere assurances; they want a solution. The government releases budgets worth crores for health schemes, but why is that budget not reaching these patients? Has suffering on stretchers for an ultrasound become the destiny of patients in government hospitals?
These long queues for ultrasounds at Bhagalpur's health centers are not just a failure of the patients, but a failure of the entire system that sells the dream of free treatment to the poor. Until there is an increase in basic resources—the number of machines and manpower—patients will continue to wait for their turn on stretchers in this manner. It is time for the Health Department to take concrete and immediate steps in this direction to provide relief to the patients.
