A patient is abandoned at JJ Hospital every week

The odour of bandaged wounds is the first sensation that is experienced when one sets foot in ward number 4 at JJ Hospital. At the end of this ward lies Hema Mohanty, a patient who receives no visitors or well-wishers. The 26-year-old can be seen reeling in pain with blood oozing from her left leg, which has rotted away due to gangrene. Ms Mohanty is in need of immediate surgery to stop the infection from spreading all over her body. And in addition to her agony, she has come to grips with the fact that it was her own husband who had abandoned her here.

‘Private hospitals need effective grievance redressal cells’

The much-awaited public hearing of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) concluded on Thursday but many complainants of medical negligence cases had to go back home empty-handed after the body refused to hear cases against private hospitals. However, during the two days of hearing, the commission also highlighted several lapses in the health services and raised the need for effective grievance redressal cells (GRC) at private hospitals.
The commission will submit its suggestions to the Medical Council of India (MCI) and its state bodies with the observation made during the hearings. Though the official website of NHRC stated that the body would hear cases against public and private health services, the latter was refused on Wednesday.

Triumph of good over bad

Meet chemist who blew whistle on sale of stolen medicines

It was an alert pharmacist who reported a nurse to a patient's family when she came to the store to sell stolen medicines. If not for 33year-old Yogesh Maru the theft of medicines prescribed to a 75-year-old patient admitted to UN Mehta hospital's ICU would have gone undetected. It could have possibly complicated the patient's health condition had her family not found out that medicines meant for her were being stolen and sold off.

Maru, who has been working at Dev Medical Store near the hospital for three years, could have simply bought back the medicines from the accused nurse. But he suspected something fishy about the whole thing and, like a dutiful citizen, promptly reported the matter to the patient's son.

UN MEHTA NURSES `STEAL PATIENT'S MEDICINES, TRY TO SELL THEM TO CHEMIST'

Medicinesgo missing from 75-yr-old patient's bedside; surface 5 hours later at a chemist'sshop. Chemist alerts patient's son, alleges two nurses tried to sell thosemedicinesHospital institutes inquiry

In what could be just a tip of the iceberg, a shocking case of alleged theft and sale of medicines meant for patients has come to light at UN Mehta Institute Of Cardiology & Research Centre. The alleged theft was reported by the son of a 75-year-old patient who was admitted to the hospital with cardiac problems and lung infection. The accused nurses are likely to be suspended or terminated if the hospital's inquiry committee finds them guilty.

Very Shameful

In a brazen display of insensitivity, doctors at VSHospital refused to attend to an eight-yearold rape victim for 45 minutes asshe lay in the emergency ward, bleeding from her private parts and writhing inpain. That was not the end of Sunita's (name changed) harrowing experience.When the staff finally attended to her, they made the child relive the traumaby asking uncomfortable questions and discussing the incident among themselvesin front of her. The hospital's alleged delay in providing medical assistanceand the shameful behaviour of the staff is in clear violation of The Protectionof Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012.