Same mattress used since 2007 in Punjab’s Guru Gobind Singh hospital’s skin ward | Exclusive
India Today
An India Today team discovered that the mattresses in the skin ward of Punjab's Guru Gobind Singh hospital have not been changed since 2007 despite the patients there having serious conditions.
An investigation conducted by India Today’s team revealed that the mattresses used in the skin ward of Faridkot's Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital have not been changed in the last 15 years. This comes just days after the Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Dr Raj Bahadur resigned from his post saying that he was humiliated by Punjab Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra's demand to lie down on a dirty mattress at the hospital.
Out of a total of 30 beds in the ward, the mattresses of 20 beds have not been replaced since 2007.
A senior nurse who works in the ward said the authorities refused to replace the worn-out mattresses despite repeated requests. "A fresh demand was made last year too but the mattresses were not replaced. When a prisoner ward was created, we verbally requested that the mattresses should be replaced. The authorities refused, saying that there were no mattresses. We were told that the mattresses have already been distributed in all wards," she said.
The nurse further said that they had only made verbal requests and no return requisition was sent.
"Ten mattresses were provided in 2018. There are 30 beds in this ward. The mattresses are required to be replaced after every five years. We usually get patients with skin diseases and their conditions are serious. I have been working here for the last 15 years and have only received 10 mattresses," she added.
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Dr Raj Bahadur's resignation was followed by outrage from the medical community, which demanded an apology from the health minister. Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab wrote a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and demanded an immediate unconditional apology and resignation of the minister for his misbehaviour.
