‘One bed-one patient policy’ at Lady Reading Hospital irks patients

PESHAWAR: The "one bed-one patient policy" introduced by the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) administration has caused hardships to hundreds of patients, particularly children, being brought there from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Though the initiative of LRH administration helped it get rid of patients, it put extra burden on the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) as the hospital authorities have started accommodating five patients on one bed. The LRH administration has notified "one bed, one patient and one attendant" policy aimed at providing quality of services to the patients. Also, patients referre from LRH to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar due to lack of beds in paediatric units are then sent to KTH, citing the number of insufficient beds.

A paediatrician, Dr Zia Mohammad in the KTH, told The News they had to accommodate five patients on one bed, saying it was difficult to refuse children brought to them in a critical condition. "Well we were already under-pressure due to influx of patients but in the past few days we have started receiving many patients from LRH and HMC. We don't have space, but can't refuse patients as most of the children brought to use are in critical condition," said Dr Zia Mohammad.

When asked, the paediatrician confirmed it was likely to transmit communicable diseases such as measles and diphtheria to children put on same bed.He said they had two units and one chamber comprises 25 beds, which he said was always occupied. "We had to accommodate 108 patients on 30 beds in the past few days and majority of them were referred to us from LRH and HMC," said Dr Zia Mohammad. Farhad Khan, media and protocol officer, also said they were under a tremendous pressure during the past few days after the LRH administration notified "one bed and one patient" policy.

"Being a public sector hospital, we can't refuse patients being brought to us from different parts of the province," he said. He said one of the parents came from Lakki Marwat with their ailing son got frustrated and warned to kill his child if he was not admitted in KTH. "The parents first took their ailing son to LRH and the doctors in LRH refused admission and referred him to HMC. The doctors in HMC said they didn't have space and sent the parents and their sick child to us in KTH.

There was no space in KTH but we couldn't refuse the parents as the father said he would kill his son if they didn't admit him," Farhad Khan said. When reached for his comments, Dr Mukhtiar Zaman Afridi, medical director LRH, said they had notified the "one bed and one patient policy" in the larger interests of the patients.

"We have succeeded in our efforts. Though we have some problems with the paediatric department, we have 140 beds in three units and are planning to expand our paediatric services by accommodating 40 patients in an available space at the Accident and Emergency department of the hospital," he said.

He said they had nine consultants instead of 12 for three units and were working on a plan to bring its level up to 20 by recruiting more consultants in future. "It's inhuman to put more than one patient on one bed. Our staff and resources are according to the beds available in the hospital.

It will help control the spread of infection among the patients," he said. Dr Afridi said the government, particularly the Health Department would have to work and utilise the services available at the district headquarters hospitals in the province so that every patient didn't need to Peshawar for the facilities available in the peripheries.

"All the hospitals will need shoulder their responsibilities and share the burden or else the patients will have to suffer as they would be referred to LRH, KTH and HMC from all over the province," he concluded.