Ludhiana: Patients suffer as 16 ventilators lie unused at civil hospital
The plight of patients is exacerbated as the intensive care unit stands non-operational, compelling them to seek treatment in government hospitals outside Ludhiana
Despite the availability of vital medical equipment, the civil hospital here finds itself in a challenging situation as at least 16 ventilators remain unused due to a severe shortage of trained staff.
The plight of patients is exacerbated as the intensive care unit (ICU) stands non-operational, compelling them to seek treatment in government hospitals outside Ludhiana.
With a total of 33 ventilators, each costing approximately ₹15 lakh, the hospital is unable to harness their potential due to the absence of adequately trained personnel. These ventilators, along with the ICU, were initially established during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with temporary staff deployed to manage operations.
However, as the situation normalised, the staff were reassigned to their original postings, leaving the ventilators dormant.
A senior doctor from the hospital’s emergency department, speaking on the condition of anonymity, lamented the regular referral of critical patients to tertiary care facilities in Chandigarh and Patiala.
“Patients with conditions ranging from acute head injuries to complex medical specialities such as cardiology and oncology are routinely redirected due to the hospital’s staffing constraints,” he added.
The task of recruiting and training staff to operate the ventilators poses a significant challenge amidst the existing staff shortage. With the ICU non-functional, patients are compelled to seek treatment elsewhere, further burdening government hospitals in neighboring cities.
Moreover, the scarcity of emergency ambulances equipped with ventilator facilities compounds the challenges faced by patients in Ludhiana. Presently, the district has only 41 basic life support ambulances, leaving patients vulnerable during transportation without access to essential medical support. Forced to turn to private ambulances, patients are subject to exorbitant charges ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹5,500 for ventilator-equipped transportation, with no assurance of admission to the referred hospital.
Civil surgeon Dr. Jasbir Singh Aulakh acknowledged the issue, attributing the unused ventilators to the lack of trained staff.
He said that the hospital is committed to resolving the matter by exploring avenues to generate additional revenue for staff recruitment.
