PESHAWAR: The rush of unauthorised people at the hospitals after natural calamities coupled with VIP visits and presence of media teams has been affecting adversely the proper treatment of the victims, who require prompt diagnosis and treatment, health workers say.

“Yesterday night was a classic example. People from the localities hit by destructive windstorm and rain reportedly swarmed the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of the Lady Reading Hospital on such a massive scale that it became difficult for doctors, paramedics and nurses to provide speedy care to the victims,” doctors said.

They said that it was suggested to the government several times to allow VIP visits only after the victims of natural or man-made calamities got stable. However, the ministers continue to throng the hospitals. “The people aren’t far behind the ministers as at least 20 people accompany one patient,” they added.

The doctors said that their request to allow only two attendants with one patient also fell on deaf ears. They said that they wanted safety and privacy of patients on the pattern of CMH where media people and attendants were not permitted.

“We requested the media people to stay away from AED but they got angry,” they said. The doctors said that media people were roaming freely in AED at a time when it was overflowing with seriously injured patients, including women and children.

“The TV channels showed live broadcasts from the middle of AED but the authorities remained helpless,” they said.

The LRH administration, which is supposed to spearhead the emergency operations at the hospital, also remains busy in according protocols to VIPs.

Doctors at AED, where victims of bomb attacks or natural calamities are investigated before referring them to relevant wards for proper treatment, say that unnecessary visits are harming the treatment of patients, who require urgent attention. The patients with minor problems are sent home after first-aid while the serious ones are hospitalised.

The paramedics also complain that heavy rush at AED creates hurdles in smooth sailing of the emergency operations because they find it hard to pass by. LRH, which receives bulk of the victims from bomb attacks and natural calamity in the city, has the capacity to cope with mass emergencies but the unauthorised visits by people, VIPs and mediapersons has made the things worse.

The health workers said that they faced strange situation last night as everyone was asking them for prompt treatment of his near and dear ones. Medical procedures take time. For example, patients have to undergo X-ray skulls, CT scan and preliminary blood tests to determine if he has head injury and needs to be referred to neurosurgery ward.

“But the people insist that everything should be done in spur of moments which isn’t possible,” they said.

Last night was different as people came from the villages along with the victims and stayed at the hospital for the whole night. After bomb blasts, the people living around LRH come to the hospital as spectators and then vanish. Doctors said that the injured people suffered because of people’s presence at the hospital.

The administration, which should have been supervising the work, remained in the services of the ministers and politicians, who arrived as soon as patients started pouring in.

The doctors said that it was incorrect to blame any minister for not visiting the hospital after every tragedy because the hospital had the required infrastructure and human resources to cope with the patients.

Health Minister Shahram Tarakai told Dawn that government was bringing reforms to improve patients’ care. “We are also increasing number of nurses so the patients can be given proper care and the need of more attendants is reduced,” he said. The minister said that a proper system for entry to hospitals was being devised to put brakes on unauthorised visits. “The patients’ confidentiality would be ensured,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2015

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