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Better facilities for hospital or no surgery, say Kurunegala doctors
By Pushpakumara Jayaratne - Kurunegala
Surgeons of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital are threatening to suspend surgery if their requests for more facilities to carry on a satisfactory service are not considered by the authorities.

The Kurunegala Teaching Hospital has run into a serious crisis with inadequate facilities to patients, according to doctors at this hospital. Located among 27 District and Base hospitals of Chilaw, Kuliyapitiya and Nikaweratiya this hospital is also a centre for the adjacent hospitals like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Trincomalee and Vavuniya.

Two senior surgeons among others at this hospital are Drs. R.J.K. Seneviratne and D.G.N. Ratnasena. Dr. D.G.N. Ratnasena, said they have continued work in spite of many shortcomings, but they were unable to continue further since in the event of any misadventure the surgeon would be held responsible.

The operating theatres in the two storied building were built about 40 years ago but no improvements had been made either to the operating theatres or to the hospital.
'Though, it is wrong to have an additional bed by the side of the operating bed according to accepted norms, we are forced to do this as admissions are heavy', said another doctor.

About 80 doctors use only 9 operating units in the two existing theatres.
The majority of the patients were poor and they cannot afford the luxury of private hospitals and in some instances the patients have died prior to the date set for surgery.

"The two theatres are out-of-date and due to persuasion, arrangements were made to get the lower building repaired at a cost of Rs. 1.5 million, but six months have passed and nothing has happened. How can we perform surgery under these conditions, with dust all over? We even perform surgery covering the beds with plastic cloth." lamented Dr. Ratnasena.

The sterilizing equipment too is outdated thus posing a threat to surgery, with flies adding to the menace. Many of the condemned items were still stored in the operating theatres, in spite of requests to remove them, disturbing the movement of patients.

"A vital responsibility of an efficient administration is to make the public aware that repair work in a hospital makes temporary inroads into normal procedure. Here no such thing happens, and often patients and doctors are at loggerheads." added Dr. Ratnasena.

He said appeals to the authorities have not brought any results. Doctors have requested the government to investigate into irregularities connected with the repair of the theatres. Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, joint secretary of the GMOA Kurunegala branch, said they were surprised that the same contractor who allegedly failed to complete the repairs of the ground-floor had now been assigned the upper-floor as well. All nine surgeons have expressed their dissatisfaction over the contractor's work in the upper floor, he said.

The slow pace of the ongoing repairs disrupt work in the labour and the children's unit. Doctors have requested for transfers since they can no longer bear these disturbances.

They want the officials in the Health Ministry to stop the ongoing repairs and erect at least one building per year in conformity to standards.

They also want the authorities to make sure that the air-conditioning units which repeatedly breakdown be maintained and assure the welfare of patients so that they may not blame the doctors in the event of any medical misadventure.

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