Hospital in disarray, way-side telephone booths meddled with by interested parties

by S. T. B. Senaratne

Patients calling over at the Nochchiyagama District hospital for treatment complain about the multiple shortcomings in the hospital which cause them great inconvenience and injustice.

The Labour Room is presently in disuse as a result of repair works being suspended for the past six months. This situation follows the contractors abandoning further repairs as they have not been paid for what they have so far done. Hospital authorities in turn say that payments are delayed because of investigations relating to sub-standard repairs are yet on-going. Anyway the expectant mothers who come from far away places now have to turn to Anuradhapura hospital in dismay, for delivery.

Patients calling over for OPD treatment complain that Medical Officers pay scant attention to them if they do not come through their private channel centres where the patients are charged heavily. They complain that sometimes the doctors admit patients to the Nochchiyagama hospital for indoor treatment for which the doctor concerned charges a fee.

Another complaint by the public is that doctors do not conduct medical clinics regularly on the due dates. In addition the telephone of the hospital has been disconnected due to non-payment of telephone bills.

This causes inconvenience to patients due to lack of communication when patients have to be transferred to other hospitals or when patients are transferred from other hospitals to Nochchiyagama hospital.

Meanwhile it is reported from Kekirawa that the way-side telephone booths in the Kekirawa town often go out of order due to unknown persons meddling with them. It has been observed that telephone machines are made non-functional by applying wheat flour paste over them during night time. People suspect that private telephone agencies are behind this mischief to attract customers to their telephone centres where they charge a comparatively high price.