Main Gate of Mayaganj Hospital Remains Closed for the Third Consecutive Day Due to Road Construction; Massive Distress for OPD and Emergency Patients, Commotion Erupts at the Main Gate
Bhagalpur, Office Correspondent: A major and distressing development has emerged from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH), commonly known as Mayaganj Hospital, the largest medical institution in the Anga region. With concrete road construction work moving rapidly in front of the hospital's surgical emergency department, the hospital's main gate has been kept completely closed for the third consecutive day. Due to the main gate remaining shut, patients arriving from remote rural areas for treatment, their attendants, and ambulance drivers faced severe difficulties. Frustrated by the system, a massive commotion also erupted at the hospital premises in the morning.
Main Route Closed Due to Road Construction
According to information received from the hospital management, the condition of the road in the surgical emergency and main OPD areas of Mayaganj Hospital had been dilapidated for a long time. Due to the poor road conditions, serious patients faced immense hardships while being transported on stretchers and trolleys:
Construction of a New Concrete Road: To provide a permanent solution to this issue faced by patients, work on building a sturdy concrete road inside the hospital premises was initiated.
Necessity of Letting the Wet Road Cure: The concrete poured as part of the construction work has not yet dried completely, and if vehicular or pedestrian movement starts over it, there is a risk of damaging the road. Due to this technical reason, the main gate has been kept closed for the past three days.
Patients Stranded Due to Lack of Information, Commotion at the Main Gate
Most patients from remote areas did not receive concrete information about the hospital's main gate being closed, leading to a massive crowd gathering outside the gate since morning:
Outburst of Patients' Anger: When OPD timings began in the morning and people attempted to enter through the main gate, patients grew agitated after security guards blocked their path. Around 11:00 AM, angry patients and their relatives created a loud commotion at the main gate.
Forced to Climb Bamboo Barricades: Following heavy pressure and protests, security personnel opened a narrow passage just wide enough for a single person to squeeze through. Patients were forced to climb over bamboo barricades and enter at their own risk. Several elderly and female patients were seen stumbling and falling during the process.
Entry Allowed Through the Eastern Gate, But Lacking Awareness
As an alternative arrangement, the hospital administration had kept the eastern gate of the hospital located near the Barari police station open for the entry of patients and ambulances:
Long Detours and Confusion: Most patients lacked accurate information about the diversion at the eastern gate, causing them to arrive in distress at the main gate. Drivers and critical patients had to take detours to enter from alternate routes.
Disarray and Challenges: Near the OPD's TB testing center, a path was already partially obstructed due to a tree falling under a shed, complicating the situation further.
Hospital Management's Stance: "Main Route to Resume Smoothly from Monday"
Reacting to this entire turn of events and the inconvenience faced by patients, hospital manager Sunil Gupta stated that this construction work is ultimately being carried out for the convenience of patients in the future:
"Due to the poor road conditions, navigating patients on stretchers and trolleys caused significant inconvenience. Once the new concrete road is built, movement will become completely seamless. After the concrete cures, the main gate will be fully opened from Monday, following which normal entry for patients and vehicles will resume." The management expressed regret for the brief inconvenience and appealed to patients for cooperation.
The mental and physical agony experienced by patients due to the three-day closure of Mayaganj Hospital's main gate and the lack of proper promotion of alternative arrangements raise questions about the healthcare management's operational workflow. Although the new concrete road is expected to provide long-term relief, ensuring clear and timely information regarding alternative routes for the general public and patients during construction work is essential, so that no patient has to endure such humiliation to receive medical care.
