At RSRM hospital, expectant mothers climb stairs for care

Chennai: The govt Raja Sir Ramaswamy Mudaliar (RSRM) lying-in hospital in Royapuram boasts a 145-year-old legacy, with hundreds of women arriving daily for deliveries and antenatal care. Yet pregnant women and their elderly attenders fight for space on the ramp from ground floor to second floor, as the lift in the main building is not working.Stretchers are inadequate too. On Wednesday, a 21-year-old patient from Redhills, who underwent termination of pregnancy, was asked to walk up to her room on the next floor as no stretchers were available. "Another woman went into labour, so the stretcher was given to her," she said.The hospital sees around 400 outpatients a day, with an additional 200 coming in for scans. All 619 inpatient beds are full, and another 200 beds are expected to be installed soon. "I walk up and down at least five times a day to buy essentials such as water, blankets and repellents," said a 53-year-old attender whose daughter has been admitted. Warders echoed the same story. "We get young boys visiting the hospital to help us push the cart," a warder said. Resident medical officer (in-charge) Dr Vijaya Lakshmi said another newly built building, with operation theatres and a newborn baby care unit, also has a couple of lifts that face glitches every now and then.The hospital's medical superintendent Dr Shanthi K Elango said funds were already disbursed for the defunct lift to be replaced. "In the main building, we have only one lift. It is 10 years old and needs to be replaced. We got funds six months ago, but the replacement is taking time due to a lack of consistent cooperation from the civil and electrical engineers. But we shall ensure that the lift is fixed soon," she said.