In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services at King George’s Medical University’s (KGMU) Queen Mary’s Hospital have remained non-functional for more than a year, while the 340-bed facility continues to handle nearly 1,000 outpatient visits a day, exposing gaps in specialised treatment, medicines and basic patient amenities.
The prolonged disruption has affected women seeking fertility treatment at one of the state’s major government-run maternity hospitals. Meanwhile, the Queen Mary’s Hospital’s heavy patient load is also putting pressure on its existing infrastructure. Another pressure point is billing. The hospital also does not have a dedicated shelter for attendants accompanying patients. In the absence of a designated facility, attendants reportedly spend nights under sheds or a tree on the hospital premises.
The IVF facility, introduced at Queen Mary’s in 2009, has remained shut amid issues related to procurement and availability of equipment and consumables. With OPD footfall of around 1,000 patients a day, nearly three times its sanctioned bed capacity, patients and attendants have reported difficulties in accessing medicines, implants and other prescribed items through the Hospital Revolving Fund (HRF) store. The university is now planning a 500-bed apex centre for women and newborn care behind the hospital to address the growing demand and bring specialised treatment for high-risk cases under one roof.
Prof Kumar Shantanu, chairman of the HRF, said non-availability of a particular medicine or brand did not necessarily mean that the required salt was in short supply. He said rate contracts, approved price agreements for procurement of specified medicines or brands were not available for every product. He said the HRF was working to provide medicines from leading brands at affordable prices to reduce the financial burden on poor patients. Though two or three additional billing counters are available, patients said only two were operational, resulting in queues and delays amid the hospital’s heavy footfall. Prof Singh said Queen Mary’s was an old facility that had been designed when its patient load was considerably lower.
