Mothers, babies sleep on floor at Safdarjung Hospital; authorities want 'one patient-one bed' policy

New Delhi [India], Sept 3, (ANI): From doubling and tripling of patients on a single bed at the maternity ward of one of the centre's biggest medical facility - Safdurjung Hospital - authorities seem to have turned a blind eye as mothers are seen lying on the floor with their newborns.

ANI took stock of the ground realities at Safdarjung Hospital and found hundreds of pregnant mothers and their babies sleeping on the ground in the corridors of the hospital in Delhi. Not only the maternity ward is in poor condition, but the pediatric ward, emergency ward and medicine ward depict a similar picture.

Rani Kumari had given birth to a baby girl a day before and was lying on the ground with her daughter. "I know sleeping on the floor is discomfort but I cannot do anything. All mothers are in pain here who are sharing beds with other pregnant mothers."

Rekha Devi, 22, narrated her first journey of motherhood. "I have delivered a premature baby boy. He needs proper medical care. I am very helpless as I have to adjust myself with another pregnant mother on the same bed."

"Safdarjung Neonatal care is in bad condition. After giving birth to a baby, a mother should be kept away from infection. But see, here mothers and their babies are sleeping on the floor. This is horrible...Hospital administration should take immediate steps to provide beds to the patients sleeping on the floor. We want- one patient, one-bed policy," said Dr Prakash Thakur, President of Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at Safdarjung Hospital.

A senior doctor at the gynaecology and maternity ward said, "We can't even walk in the ward and treat patients. Mother's are lying on the floor due to lack of beds. Here, neonatal infection and mortality is very high due to lack of optimum healthcare services and infrastructure. We are overburdened with a lot of patients."

Safdarjung Hospital has at least 200 beds dedicated to maternity and gynaecology with six units. Every day, doctors see 80 new delivery cases.

When contacted Dr Sunil Gupta, medical superintendent at Safdarjung Hospital said: "We are facing a major problem with regard to overloading of patients beyond capacity. Safdarjung Hospital works on no refund policy so we have to take each and everyone and at least 14,000 patients come to us in the OPD. We are accommodating two-three patients on a single bed. This way patients will not get the desired kind of treatment.

"Our doctors and nursing staff are in stress and have to work for a continuous 30 hours. We have addressed our problem with the senior officials of health ministry for common solutions. We should have one patient, one-bed policy," he added.