Set up ST cell at GGH, Gosha Hospital, officials told
AP State ST Commission Chairman Dr DVG Shankara Rao has directed officials to take steps to establish a dedicated Scheduled Tribes (ST) Cell at the Government General Hospital (GGH) and Gosha Hospital to better serve the tribal population.
Vizianagaram: AP State ST Commission Chairman Dr DVG Shankara Rao has directed officials to take steps to establish a dedicated Scheduled Tribes (ST) Cell at the Government General Hospital (GGH) and Gosha Hospital to better serve the tribal population.
On Wednesday, Dr Shankara Rao conducted a surprise inspection of both GGH and Gosha Hospital in Vizianagaram.
He inspected departments including the outpatient (OP) wing, general ward, surgery unit, ICU, Radiology and CT Scan unit at the GGH. He interacted with patients to gather feedback on the quality of medical services, food and other issues they were facing.
Later, the Chairman visited Gosha Hospital and inspected the maternity ward, paediatric ward, ICU and the nutrition ward for children. He spoke with pregnant women and new mothers to understand the services being provided to them.
During the inspection, Dr Shankara Rao enquired about available facilities, staff strength, patient inflow and the range of services being provided. He received briefings from the hospital superintendents and medical officers.
Speaking to the media after his visit, Dr Shankara Rao stated that the inspection was aimed to understand the medical services being offered, gather public feedback, identify existing problems and recommend necessary measures to the State government.
He noted that after the GGH was upgraded to a teaching hospital, several modern medical services have become accessible locally, which previously required patients to be referred to KGH in Visakhapatnam. While doctors are available, shortage of paramedical and nursing staff is affecting service delivery. On an average, around 1,500 outpatients are treated daily and over 4,800 diagnostic tests are conducted. He emphasised the urgent need to appoint additional paramedical personnel to meet this growing demand.
He added that a ST Cell is essential for promptly addressing the medical needs of tribal patients coming from remote areas and he would request the District Collector to facilitate its establishment.
District Medical & Health Officer Dr S Appalanaidu, GGH Superintendent Dr Appalanaidu, Maternity Hospital Superintendent Dr Aruna Subhashree, DCHS Dr Padmashri Rani and other medical staff also attended the programme.
