Patients In Jeopardy At Kandy Hospital

By Nirmala Kannangara in Kandy-Sunday, December 22, 2013 Pictures by Asoka Fernando

Cancer patients receving Chemotherapy treatment in a corridor Although politicians boast that Sri Lanka is no longer a third orld country! any person ho visits the Kandy "eneral #$eaching% &ospital either 'or treatment or to visit a patient! ould onder hether the country is no a developing country or could be rated belo the third orld rank( $he appalling state o' the Kandy "eneral #$eaching% &ospital! the second largest a'ter the Colombo National &ospital! raises eyebro s as to hy the &ealth )inistry has 'ailed to provide the basic 'acilities to the main hospital in the hill capital( $he hospital is in dire need o' essential drugs and beds and is moving to ards a place that could be easily described as a garbage dump( $he Sunday Leader visited the Kandy &ospital last eek and as shocked to see ho residential patients ere su''ering due to lack o' basic 'acilities( *ven the +P, patients ere annoyed as the hospital does not have the medicine 'or their illnesses(

Straight to the ground a'ter the surgery and &ospital aste stre n all over -.e are here 'rom early morning to get the medicine 'ree o' charge( $he doctor gave us t o prescriptions / one to the hospital pharmacy and the other to the private pharmacy( Last month hen 0 came to the clinic 0 as asked to buy three types o' medicine 'rom a private pharmacy and it cost me 1s(2!233( 0 do not kno ho much it ould cost me this time( .e le't home at 4am to get a number but still e have to buy medicine 'rom outside( 0t is better 'or us to go to a private pharmacy and buy the medicine in 'uture so that at least e can have a proper sleep till late!5 said one anguished patient( 0t as the same ith the residential patients as ell( $ enty-three-year-old 1asika Nilantha! a leukaemia patient 'rom Katugastota too is aiting to get the Chemotherapy drug / ,aunorobacin( -0 as asked to come 'or my ne6t treatment cycle and 0 am here 'or the past t o eeks( 0t is said that this particular medicine is not even available in +su Sala( $he doctors said that another bone marro test ill be done ithin the ne6t 'e days( 0 have a 'eeling the doctors ant to change my medicine as the prescribed drug is not available!5 said 1asika( 0n almost every ard! the patients ere seen sleeping on the ground hile some patients ere aiting till they got their medicine as the hospital is 'acing a huge drug shortage( $he Cancer 7nit as the orst out o' all other ards( .ard 89 #cancer male ard%! housed appro6imately 2km a ay 'rom the radiotherapy unit in the +P, building as overcro ded and the e6cess number o' patients! ho ere housed in a dilapidated tent ad:oining ard 89 till last eek! have been no shi'ted to a shed made out o' tin sheets( Although the shed as spacious the patients ere getting virtually roasted due to the intense heat( $here as not a single 'an and other than the patients ho are unable to move! all other patients ere seen seated on small granite slabs in shady places out o' the ; ard<( -$his as the &ospital ,irector<s o''icial bungalo ( Since this place as not properly maintained! the 'ormer ,irectors did not stay here( 0t is almost one year since the Cancer .ard as brought to this building( Although ,irector "eneral o' &ealth! ,r )aheepala promised to provide =3 more beds and 'ans to this ;tent< ard a 'e eeks ago hen he paid a visit to the

Kandy &ospital! e are yet to get the beds and 'ans!5 said reliable hospital sources( $he sources! on condition o' anonymity! described as to hy the male cancer ard had to be shi'ted to this building although the hospital sta'' and the patients ob:ected to go to a building that does not have any 'acilities( -$he cancer unit as housed in the lo er 'loor o' the +P, building( .hen the chest ard as demolished t o years ago to build the Cancer &ospital! the Chest Physician anted the cancer unit to be housed his ard( Since the chest ard as demolished to build the cancer hospital! the male cancer ard had to be moved to a dilapidated building closer to here the ne hospital is supposed to come up!5 the sources said( According to him! there as no other options but allo the chest ard to overtake the cancer male ard( -0t is t o years since the cancer hospital pro:ect as started and up to no no development has taken place other than soil testing( -Couldn<t they test the soil be'ore demolishing the chest ard> 0' the chest ard as not demolished! the cancer male ard ouldn<t have been shi'ted 'rom one place to another( .e have to send cancer patients to the radiotherapy unit every day and also 'or scanning purposes( Since e are 2km a ay 'rom the radiotherapy unit! the ambulance does not come very o'ten but only i' there are ten or more patients to be taken 'or treatment( .hen e call the hospital in?uiries to send the ambulance it takes at least 23 minutes to come( 0t is this same ambulance that is used to transport 'ood and tea 'or the patients!5 the sources said( According to the sources! the male cancer ard could accommodate @3 beds earlier and hen it as shi'ted to the dilapidated building it could accommodate only 83 beds( -.hen the ard as shi'ted to the ,irectors bungalo 'rom the dilapidated building! the number o' beds that could accommodate lessened to 43( $here is no space to accommodate all the patients as at any given time there are more than 9A patients at the cancer male ard!5 said the sources( Although the chemotherapy drug has to be administered to the patients hen they are in a rela6ed position! the patients ere seen getting the drug hilst sitting on chairs( Some patients said they 'eel nausea and some said that they ished i' they could get the in:ection on a bed( -Some drugs are given 'or one hour and there are times hen it takes more than one hour( +ur bodies are aching( .e ish i' e could get this drug hile e are resting on beds!5 said one patient ho did not ish to give his name( According to the sources! although it is necessary to give blood and chemotherapy drugs to the patients hile they are resting in beds! it does not happen ith patients at the caner male ard in the Kandy hospital( -$he patients at times have to hold the blood or chemotherapy drug bottle in their hands hen it is administered( Sometimes e run short o' chairs and at such times the patients get the treatment hile standing( *arlier the management said that only the patients ho get chemotherapy ould be sent to this ard but no all the patients are in this small ard!5 said the sources( &e 'urther said as to ho the hospital authorities have 'ailed to provide sa'ety masks 'or the nurses ho administer chemotherapy drugs( -$he hospital has to provide sa'ety gear including sa'ety masks and sa'ety go ns 'or those ho are handling chemotherapy drugs hich are highly poisonous( *arlier it as the nurses that mi6ed these drugs but no it is done by the pharmacists( Although e have repeatedly asked

'or these sa'ety gear e ere not given those! but the pharmacists have been given( .henever this is raised the ,irector says that he has called 'or tenders( .e do not kno as to hen sa'ety gear are provided 'or the nurses!5 he alleged( All those ho are born die one day( But these cancer patients ho do not have any hope 'or ;tomorro < said that they do not ant any good 'ood or any other lu6ury but their only re?uirement as a place to have a proper sleep( -+n top o' our mental agony! hen e are asked to sleep on the ground it is di''icult to bear the pain o' mind( +ur bodies are aching and in this tent e are getting roasted( *arlier e had to sleep on the gravel 'loor ne6t to the ard( $he only 'acility e had as a 'e roo'ing sheets over our heads( ,uring rainy days! hen ater 'lo s through the gravel 'loor! e had to carry our 'e belongings and move to the ard( $here again e did not have space even on the ground and hence e had to sit and ait till the gravel 'loor dried up( A'ter shi'ting to this tent there is no such issue hen it is raining! but the intense heat is unbearable!5 said another patient( $his as con'irmed by the sources( -Bes some o' these patients had to sleep on the gravel 'loor in the vehicle shed( .hen this building as occupied by the &ospital ,irector! his car as parked in this shed( 0t is in this shed the patients sleep on the ground( $here is no cement on the ground! only gravel!5 added the sources( According to him! there ere many days! the hospital sta'' had to take the patients into the ard hen they came to kno that the patient<s condition is orse( -$here ere many occasions e had to take the critical patients into the ard and put them in beds hen their condition becomes orse( $he nurses once 'ound a patient lying dead on the gravel 'loor( 0t is very un'ortunate 'or the doctors and nursing sta'' to 'ace such situations( At least no the patients do not have to sleep on the gravel 'loor but on a cement 'loor in the tin shed!5 added the sources( $he sources 'urther accused the hospital management 'or allo ing the chest ard to remain here the male cancer unit as housed and added that this had led to a risky situation( -)ost o' the patients in the chest ard are in'ected ith $B virus( $hey need good ventilation( $he cancer 'emale ard is housed right ne6t to the chest ard and the cancer patients! hose immunity system is so eak! could get in'ected ith $B very easily( Although this has been brought to the hospital management<s notice over and over! no action has been taken so 'ar!5 the sources claimed( )ean hile it as so pathetic to see as to ho patients! straight 'rom the operating theatre! ere put on to the ground once again due to shortage o' beds and spaces in ards( .aruna and Amila ere seen sleeping on the ground ne6t to the operating theatre( Although .aruna has undergone leg surgery a 'e days ago! Amila ho is 'rom $halathuoya as operated the day be'ore( Both Amila and .aruna! according to them! ere put to the ground straight a'ter the respective surgeries( $he medical ard too does not have enough o' space and beds to accommodate the increasing number o' patients( -+ur patients have to sleep along the corridor since e do not have enough o' space( &o ever! e have been able to put beds along the corridor but during rainy seasons these patients get et( $here is also a huge drug and clinical item shortage!5 the sources said( $he shortage o' space is such! patients could be seen sleeping on the ground even closer to the

lavatory( *ven at the entrance to the medical ard! a patient as seen sleeping on the ground( $he sources 'urther accused the hospital management 'or not allo ing the old operating theatre building! hich is no idling! to be used as a medical ard( -$he medical and cancer ards are overcro ded and most o' the patients are sleeping on the ground( .e anted the 'ormer operating theatre! that as housed in the lo er 'loor o' the FraCer .ard! to be released to the cancer male ard but it as not given( No e learnt that the management is going to give this space 'or a gymnasium 'or doctors( *ven the maternity paying ard has been removed and a plan is a'oot to give that area 'or doctors< rest room( .hen the hospital is in dire need to accommodate more beds 'or needy patients! the hospital management is taking over buildings to build gymnasium and a rest room 'or doctors( $here is a gymnasium 'or government servants ne6t to the Bogambara prison( .hen e in'ormed this to the &ealth )inistry Secretary ,r Nihal Dayathilake! he said that another gymnasium cannot be constructed ithin the hospital premises hen there is a ne ly opened gymnasium ad:oining the Bogambara prison( &o ever! still the hospital authority is planning to utiliCe this building 'or a gymnasium and a rest room 'or doctors( .hen the doctors are given ?uarters hy do they ant rest rooms( .e have to give priority 'or the patients but not 'or doctors!5 he added( $he nurses< ?uarters! ad:oining to the proposed ten storied cancer hospital stands precariously 'rom the time soil has been e6cavated 'or the building construction( -,uring rainy days! the nurses are reluctant to stay in the ?uarters as there is a possibility 'or a landslide( *arlier! there as a landslide and immediately the entire slope as concreted to prevent a 'urther landslide!5 added the nurses( 0n addition to the lack o' 'acilities provided 'or the patients! the stink that comes 'rom the garbage dump is unbearable and the area is in'ested ith 'lies and pests( Clinical aste / used in:ection needles and bottles! blood stained dressings and intravenous cannulas ere seen stre n all over( $hese items ere not in piles but along the path( $he garbage dump is on a higher elevation and the hospital kitchen is right ne6t to the garbage dump on a lo er elevation( 0t as shocking to see ho dogs drag the clinical aste bags to ards the hospital kitchen( *ven the cro s do not spare the garbage dump( $hey too take hatever they can and ere seen stre n all over the hospital premises( Ne6t to the garbage dump is the nurses< ca'eteria here the visitors too are allo ed to use( +ne visitor! a'ter seeing our sta'' photographer taking pictures o' the garbage dump! told this reporter as to ho the ca'eteria is in'ested ith 'lies( -Please go and have a look inside the ca'eteria( 0s this a hospital> .here are the P&0s that come to our houses to see hether e have mos?uito breeding sites> Let the P&0s and the )edical +''icer o' &ealth #)+&% visit the &ospital ca'eteria and the kitchen areas 'irst be'ore coming to our houses!5 she added( )ean hile! the sources described as to ho the ater that seeps through the garbage dump recedes to ards the hospital kitchen site during rainy days( -All the unhygienic ater recedes to ards the kitchen since it is :ust belo the garbage dump( Sometimes it takes more than one month to remove these clinical aste( Since chemotherapy bottles and in:ection needles are amongst the clinical aste! it is dangerous i' these items ound any person as they are highly poisonous( 0' the management does not ant to clean the hospital premises hat can e do!5 said the sources( .hen contacted ,irector Kandy &ospital ,r 1( 1atnayake 'or a comment! he anted this reporter to contact him later as he as at a meeting( All attempts taken later on to contact the ,irector 'ailed as he did not ans er his mobile phone(

,isposal o' aste! a big issue / ,r 1atnayake Acting ,irector! Kandy &ospital! ,r Saman 1atnayake hen contacted said that the disposal o' clinic aste had become a big issue and they seek President )ahinda 1a:apaksa and ,e'ence Secretary "otabaya 1a:apaksa<s ?uick intervention to solve the problem( -Although this hospital o ns A9 acres o' land! other than the 2@ acre plot here our buildings are spanning! the rest 8= acres have been encroached by s?uatters( $he Kandy hospital is to get an insulator to dispose the clinical aste( But there is no room to 'i6 this machine hich needs a large space in the garden( 0 ant the President and the ,e'ence Secretary<s intervention at the earliest to remove the s?uatters and 'ind room 'or the hospital( .hen e set 'ire to the discarded pillo s! bed sheets and mattresses! these s?uatters come to clash ith us claiming that they cannot bear the smoke( &o can they argue ith us 'or the smoke hen they are encroachers!5 said ,r 1atnayake -0 kno there is lack o' space 'or beds and patients sleep on the ground( $hat is hy a ne medical ard comple6 and a ten-storied 'ully 'ledged cancer hospital are getting constructed( No sooner these ard comple6 is constructed this condition could be overcome!5 said ,r( 1atnayake( .hen asked as to hy the 'ormer operating theatre building! hich is no idling is not given to house the male cancer ard although several re?uests have been made! ,r 1atnayake said that it ould be used 'or a ca'eteria 'or medical students and post graduate doctors( -$here are over 933 medical students and post graduates in the Kandy hospital but they do not have a proper place to have a meal( $he upper 'loor o' this building hich as earlier the FraCer paying ard is to be converted as a rest room 'or on call doctors!5 said ,r 1atnayake(