Government hospital sets a new trend

MADURAI: If you want to know the status of a person admitted in the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital here, don't worry. Now, you can get updates on the progress of the patients from a information display board in the hospital.
 
In a first for a government hospital in Tamil Nadu, the Rajaji hospital has come out with the novel way following complaints about the problem faced by family members of patients.
 
The hospital authorities had been receiving a series of complaints about the problem of the relatives in getting to know the condition of the in-patients after surgeries. The anxiety of the relatives was even exploited by some of the hospital workers, who demanded tips to part with information.
 
"We learnt that in some cases, the workers even misled the relatives about the condition of the in-patients just for tips," an official said.
 
Understanding the plight of the relatives, Dr A Rajamanoharan, the head of the anaesthesia department, which maintains the three operations theatres in the hospital, hit upon the novel idea and arranged for the information display board in front of theatres.
 
The operation theatres cater to those suffering from kidney and liver problems and cancer and have been re-opened recently after six months of maintenance and refurbishing.
 
According to hospital officials, at least 20 operations were done daily in the theatres maintained by the anesthesia department.
    
Under the new system, as soon as the patients are moved to the theatre, their names would be displayed on the notice board.
    
Once the surgery is completed, a message to this effect is put on the board. From then on, regular updates are provided till the patients are shifted from the post-operative intensive care unit.
    
Officials said that this would also prevent the doctors being pestered by the relatives and instead concentrate on attending to the patients.
    
If it is found successful, more improvements would be made to the system and suggestions in this regard would be incorporated, an official said.
    
The 'patient information notice board' has become a hit with the patients and their relatives, who say it was a big relief for them.
    
A visitor, however, wants the authorities to ensure that the lower level staff do not try to defeat the whole idea and resort to some other means to make money. "They should not asked for money even to write about the condition of the patient".
     
Meenakshi Sundaram, a visitor impressed by the new system, said private hospitals should also take the cue and follow the model set by a government hospital.