Negligence at Jaipur's Sanganeri Gate Women's Hospital Raises Concerns Over Public Health Services

Serious Issues in Emergency Care

A troubling incident at the Sanganeri Gate Women's Hospital in Jaipur has exposed the shortcomings of government healthcare services. Pregnant women arriving for treatment are facing a lack of doctors and timely care, particularly during emergencies. On Friday, many expectant mothers were forced to wait for two hours just to undergo sonography.

The absence of doctors in the emergency department after outpatient services end has become a common occurrence. Due to staff shortages and negligence, surgeries are often postponed. This was evident on Friday when two pregnant women could not have their operations because the doctor responsible for sonography was 'on lunch break.'

Family members of patients reported that two women, who were scheduled for surgery, remained on the operating table waiting for the doctor who never arrived. Nursing staff provided no substantial answers, merely stating that the doctor would return shortly, but that 'shortly' turned into a two-hour wait.

One relative of a patient, Shabnam Bano (24), shared, 'Shabnam was admitted around noon. The doctors recommended surgery and sent her for sonography around 2:30 PM. However, by 4:30 PM, no doctor had shown up. The staff informed us that the sonography doctor was on lunch. My sister lay there in pain, but no one attended to her.'

Similarly, another pregnant woman, Shaista (39), recounted, 'The doctors indicated that my condition was serious and that I needed sonography immediately for surgery. But upon reaching the sonography room, I found out there was no doctor available. I waited for over an hour and a half. If the surgery is urgent, how can the doctor take a lunch break?'

Pushpa Rani (38) echoed these concerns, stating, 'When we brought her to the emergency room, the doctors advised sonography. They said treatment would proceed based on the report. But upon arrival, we learned the doctor had been absent for the past hour. The staff kept saying he would be back soon, while the patient suffered in pain without any care.'

Other patients in the hospital confirmed that it is common for doctors to be missing during emergency hours. There are even instances of staff being absent at night. This raises a critical question: how can an institution that serves hundreds of pregnant women daily function effectively if doctors are not available when needed?

The hospital management has not issued an official statement regarding this incident. However, sources indicate that there is a significant shortage of staff, with many doctors assigned to multiple departments simultaneously, hindering timely patient care.

This negligence at a women's hospital in a major city like Jaipur highlights the dire state of public health services. If such carelessness continues, it could lead to serious incidents in the future. The pressing question remains: 'Is lunch time more important than the lives of patients?'