With
reference to the article of Dr. V.N. Jindal” Glorious GMC” on
the Goan Observer issue dated October 23-29, 2004
I would like to express my views on some points that Dr. Jindal
has focused in the article.
I
do agree with Dr. Jindal about the dedication and responsibility
of the doctors to the patients. I would add another dimension:
the missionary zeal of many doctors at the GMC whom I know
personally. But I beg to differ from Dr. Jindal in totality,
about the “dedication of the nursing staff’ a little later in
the article, I shall delve also upon Class IV employees.
Let
me give you the example of the recent tragedy that struck my
closest family members. I am sure doctor you have heard about
the Tonca gas tragedy that occurred on 4th August
04. Two of my sisters, three nephews and one rickshaw driver
were the victims of this unforgettable tragedy. After the first
aid treatment at the casualty, the victims were shifted to the
Burns Unit in Surgery Ward, 109. In the three days that I spent
in the Burns Unit with my sister Selma, I was aghast at the
behaviour of the nurses and Class IV employees to the other
patients who were moved to the ward. Invariably, these patients
were women who had either, attempted suicide by burning
themselves or were victims of ill treatment by their husbands or
relatives. For whatever personal reasons, the women were
suffering immensely. However ,the nurses and the class IV
employees taunted and scolded those women who were already in
death’s throes. Is this approach a soothing balm to the
sufferer? Being judgmental about the actions of the burnt
victims is not a charitable attitude!
My
sister Selma, who
passed away, was shivering continuously. It was 8 .a.m. I ran to
the nurses room, as I found no one in the ward 109. I knocked at
the door and informed the nurses about her condition. Some one
from inside the room shouted and said” I am dressing up to go
home. My shift is over” So, how does this system function? Do
the nurses leave before the next batch arrives? And whom do we
go to for help, in this situation? You can imagine the treatment
meted out to patients who are poor and faceless. I have seen
that also.
On
the following day, my sister Guilda and her sons were shifted to
independent rooms in ward 121.That night, my youngest nephew had
high temperature at around 1 a.m. He was restless and shivering
in pain. We requested the nurse on duty to give him something to
ease his pain. She reprimanded us and said that he was
complaining only because we were around. She was upset because
she and the Class Iv employee were kept awake and the door to
the ward 121 was still open, when the practice was to lock the
same at 10 p.m, as per the information given by the nurse on
duty Here were three critically ill patients who were expected
to be looked after by the attendants but we were left to manage
the problems ourselves.
By
God’s Grace, we were able to shift my sister and her sons to
Mumbai .
They
were sent out of the GMC with unprotected wounded faces and in
this manner they traveled from Dabolim, Goa to Chatrapatti
Shivaji Airport in Mumbai with hundreds of passengers watching
them as they were carried on stretchers. The doctors at Massina
Hospital, Byculla , were horrified to see them. “Is this the
way you were sent from
Medical
College ,Goa”? was the
question asked. There was no need for a reply. They spent three
long months of suffering at Massina due to infections of
Plasmodium, Klebsiella and Ecoli contracted at G.M.C.
Dr. Jindal, the facts speak volumes about the unprofessionalism,
lack of dedication and love for the suffering humanity from the
nursing staff.
Coming
to my next point: the Class IV Employees. I wonder why are they
appointed? Who sees to their accountability? Are there no laws
to pull them up if they fail in their duties? Are the
authorities bowing down to the Unions of Class IV employees?
Their behaviour towards the patients and the family who keeps
company to the patients is unspeakable!!!
You
enter any ward of the G.M.C even the ICCU 125 you cannot fail to
detect cobwebs; dust ,bits of soiled cotton swabs and small
cockroaches. Smelly toilets are the order of the day.
If
lack of financial resources is the reason why private agencies
cannot be appointed to look after the cleanliness of the GMC
surely there are ways of generating resources.
The
last question I would like to probe into is: Why can’t Goa
Medical College have a full fledged unit for Burns? Why can’t we
have a team of doctors and nurses well informed about the
treatment in case of burns? It would have saved so many lives
and expenses of moving away from Goa .
This
letter is not only meant as a reply to Dr. Jindal’s article. It
is also written with the hope that it will be read by the
Secretary for Health, Minister for Health and by all those who
care about giving us, sufferers, patient-friendly, clean and
hygienic G.M.C.
Celina
de Vieira Velho e Almeida
Altinho.
Heartening indeed!
Your
weekly GOAN OBSERVER, (Oct 30 to Nov 5), featured
on its cover a very tired and exhausted looking CM. It is indeed
heartening to see a few Goans working above and beyond the call
of duty while some others just sit on their fat posteriors and
regale in criticising anything and everything.
Girish
D Sardessai
Alto
Porvorim.
Radical Demons
Inciting
racial hatred is a menace and terming Muslims as ‘Rahus’ and
Christians as ‘Ketus’ is an evil act committed to destroy racial
harmony and secularism which is in existence over the years. The
desperate attempts by the Sangh Parivar and Vishwa Hindu
Parishad to introduce hatred in our land of harmony will not
succeed and the “Hindutva” doctrine has no room in the hearts of
Goans at large.
The
radical demons of BJP hierarchy and the Satans from rank and
file viz: Sangh Parivar and VHP units are causing dreadful
damage to secularism and offending the constitutional rights
protecting the minorities.
Their
objectives will be defeated, however hard they may try to impose
their will by acts of sabotage and destruction. Their defeat is
imminent. Provocative calls for police action and damage to CCP
property must be regarded likewise. The rascals must be punished
and placed under detention.
Derogatory
language will not serve any purpose in a free democratic country
especially when levelled against Muslims and Christians, who are
citizens of India. Let us face the facts and experience the
truth.
C
R X Braz
Miramar.
Gone
to the dogs?
On
Sunday, I happened to pass by Campal in the dug-up city of
Panjim. Seeing a lot of dogs being paraded on the gymkhana
grounds opposite Pehli Manzil, I stopped to see what was going
on. I soon realised it was the ‘Dog Show” organized by the
“Kennel club” with Mummy Victoria as the Chief Guest. I love
dogs, but I love dog discipline more than the dogs themselves.
That being so, I parked my car in the vicinity and edged forward
into the crowd.
The
performance put up by the police dog (entry number 70) an
Alsatian, was breathtaking. Not only did the dog walk in the
trainer’s foot-steps, its sniff identified a human scented
kerchief correctly and with ease. Its discipline to sit in one
place as commanded by the trainer was commendable.
Behind
me I heard a gentleman whispering into his wife’s ear. “Honey,
the police seem to discipline their dogs well. I sincerely wish
the discipline of our Goa police hadn’t gone to dogs, though”
I
turned around, smiled at the gentleman, extended my hand to him
and said, ”You have made my day sir, thank you”. His ear to ear
grin brought me home in high spirits.
Floriano
C Lobo
Moira