Gaurav Kanthwal
Mohali, January 18
The existing seating arrangement at the Civil Hospital, Phase 6, is falling miserably short of requirement as patients and attendants are forced to sit on the pavement and along pathways in the biting cold.
With most of the seats occupied inside, most patients choose to wait outside to make the most of the sunny weather amid the ongoing cold wave.
Patients, including the aged, women clutching toddlers, and their attendants have to brave the inhospitable conditions on a daily basis in the absence of adequate number of seats or benches outside.
Braving the elements
Front courtyard, free medicine shop and car park lack benches for patients waiting for consultationOutside emergency ward, barely four benches are present, enough to accommodate eight personsDOTS Centre and TB Lab counter, too, does not have even a single bench, forcing visitors to brave elementsPortable benches that can be shifted according to weather conditions may solve problem, say visitors
The front courtyard, free medicine shop and car parking areas lack benches where patients can sit under the sun and wait for consultation.
Outside the emergency ward of the hospital, four benches are present, enough to accommodate barely eight persons, forcing many to squat on the pavement, reflecting poorly on the working of the government-run institution.
Will add benches once funds received
There are a few seats there. More will be arranged as and when funds are allotted. There was a power outage from 12 noon to 3 pm which may have led to X-ray reports being delayed. — Dr HS Cheema, SMO, Civil Hospital, Phase 6
No power, forced to wait for report
There is power outage and doctor has asked for an X-ray report of my fractured leg. I have to wait till 3 pm. — Jaswinder Kaur, Lakhnaur resident
The DOTS (directly observed therapy short course) Centre and TB Laboratory counter does not have even a single bench for visitors. This at a time when the Punjab Government claims to lay special emphasis on healthcare.
Lakhnaur resident Jaswinder Kaur, 66, explaining the need to sit under the sun at the hospital, says: “There is power outage and the doctor has asked for an X-ray report of my fractured leg bone. I have to wait on a wheelchair till 3 pm.” Her daughter-in-law waits patiently seated on the pavement.
Balongi couple Abhishek Chauhan, 28, and Mamta, 26, take turns to hold their two-and-a-half-year-old son suffering from fever. “We belong to Bihar and have come here for work. This is the first time we are visiting the hospital and it is quite discomforting to sit on the pavement and wait for our turn. We hope to see the doctor and return home soon,” says the couple.
The visitors say portable benches that can be shifted according to the weather conditions may solve the problem to a great extent.
“There is a lot of vacant space in the courtyard and along the parking area. Portable chairs can be arranged for visitors as a stopgap arrangement,” says a patient’s attendant. While visitors say the seating arrangement inside the hospital is satisfactory, it is found wanting at the time of rush.
