LAHORE: Critical patients are paying ‘heavy cost’ for the shuttle service of ambulances launched by the Lahore General Hospital to shift them from the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department to indoor departments of the institute for admission or other purposes.

They are being ‘forced’ to visit private labs and diagnostic centres located outside the LGH due to certain loopholes in the scheme and shortage of diagnostic equipment.

The ‘mafia’ within and outside the institute is the main beneficiary of the ‘faulty project’ instead of patients as the business of diagnostic centres near the teaching hospital has flourished, a senior official told Dawn.

He said the LGH admin had launched the scheme with a good intention to provide relief to patients by stationing two ambulances and as many ward attendants at the A&E department.

The LGH is the only teaching institute which receives a large number of patients with head injuries and neuro-related emergencies for being the largest healthcare setup in this particular specialty in Punjab.

Since the shifting of critical patients on ‘stretchers’ from A&E to indoor departments and other diagnostic sections is quite painful way, the LGH admin has strictly banned the use of stretchers for the purpose.

However, the scheme has failed to bring relief to such patients due to multiple factors, particularly the mismanagement, on the part of admin officials.

Hospital ‘mafia’ cashing in on loopholes in ambulance service

The official said at least 1,500 patients visited the A&E department daily. And many of them required admission after initial surgical and medical treatment and diagnostic facilities which were available only in other sections of the hospital.

The patients, particularly with bone fractures, were suggested digital X-Rays and this facility was available in the OPD which was located in the building at least 100 meters away.

The patients had to wait for the availability of the ambulance to reach the OPD. Consequently, the ‘mafia people’ trapped such patients and took them to private diagnostic centres.

Same is the case with those patients who required ultrasound and blood tests from the emergency department. A limited number of blood tests were performed at the A&E of the LGH.

He said that some LGH doctors, admin officials and paramedics had set up diagnostic facilities outside the hospital building.

He alleged they took the patients at their business centres in connivance with some hospital employees and ripped them off.

LGH Medical Superintendent retired Capt Dr Niaz Ahmad said the admin had taken action against some hospital employees on such complaints.

He said the management was making efforts to find a permanent solution to such plaints.

He said efforts were under way for the inauguration of the Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences (PINS) by the Punjab chief minister in April or so.

The MS said the A&E department would be shifted to PINS which had ample space for medical, surgical and diagnostic facilities.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2016