Need Help! Newly Opened Community Service Centre at Wenlock Hospital to Your Rescue
Mangaluru: With hundreds and thousands of patients coming to government Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru daily for treatment, many a times they don’t know where to go, what is the procedure to seek treatment, which department is the right one for their ailment etc -therefore in order to provide all the basic information they need when they enter Wenlock hospital, than to make patients and their family members run in circles to find the right answer, Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) of Dakshina Kannada unit, Youth Red Cross of Mangalore University and Wenlock Hospital have jointly set up a Community Service Centre (CSC) at OPD of Wenlock District Hospital, and it was launched on Tuesday, 11 February 2020.
Following a prayer song invoking God’s blessings, S A Prabhakar Sharma-Hon Secretary of IRCS DK in his welcome address and briefing on the project said, “After much planning we are happy to launch this unique project which will benefit the patients who come to Govt Wenlock hospital for treatment. Patients from not only Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, but also from Chitradurga, Davangere, Shivamogga, Kasargod, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and other parts of Kerala visit the hospital for treatment. This CSC will be useful to provide information to the patients, and also to the family members who escort them. Nearly 50 senior citizens as volunteers have registered to help out at this CSC, and even students are eager to serve as volunteers. At present the timing of the CSC is schedules as 9.30 am til 5 pm, but eventually we will extend the timing when we get more volunteers to help us out. For the benefit of patients and their attendants, weekly magazines and monthly magazines will be made available in the library”.
The inauguration of the CSC was done by lighting of the lamp by Kota Srinivas Poojary- District-Minister-in-charge, DC Ms Sindhu B Roopesh IAS; MLA Vedavyas Kamath; Mangalore University VC Dr P S Yadapadithaya; Dr Rajeshwari Devi- Superintendent of Wenlock Hospital; SA Santharam Shetty- Chairman of IRCS of DK; Dr Ganapathi Gowda- Nodal Officer of Youth Red Cross of Mangalore University, among others. Addressing the audience Kota Srinivas Poojary said, “Even though the govt had directed that once the doctors exit out of their colleges they need to serve at least for two years in government hospitals, but that has not materialized well. We will take this matter seriously and try to implement the rule again, with certain changes to benefit the doctors also”.
Poojary further said, “With over thousand of patients visiting Wenlock hospital daily, this CSC will provide them information on the available treatment and doctors that are ready to treat them for their ailments. The hospital will be upgraded soon, since it needs extra facilities to cater to the needs of the patients. Since there is shortage of staff and doctors at the hospital, the government will take up the recruitment process at the earliest. It is needed that all govt hospitals should provide transparent service to the patients, but I am happy to say that Govt Wenlock hospital in DK fairs way much better than other govt hospitals in the state. I will see that this hospital is upgraded and that proper services are provided to the patients”.
DC Sindhu Rupesh said that CSC is a novel project which will immensely help the patients when they come to Wenlock hospital for treatment, and very soon an information board on the same will be mounted inside the hospital premises which will be a added source. MLA Vedavyas Kamath also speaking said, “It would be nice if the timings of CSC are extended further from 5 pm until 8-9 pm which will help the patients who come in late in the evening. Certain arrangements should be made among the volunteers to help out in this regard. Service to humanity is a service rendered to God. This CSC is like a Temple where you can find solace and help. Volunteers should serve the patients with smile and not with a stressful mood. As per the request from Dr Rajeshwari Devi we will do some development in the parking and changes to the road leading and exiting out of Wenlock hospital, under the Smart City development project”.
VC Dr Yadapadithaya said that the CSC will provide an opportunity to the seniors to keep themselves busy, rather than have a bored life at home.”More than sympathy, empathy is important here.For student volunteers this will be a lived in experience, and also knowledge and character is important in this service. This project will sensitize the youth” added VC.
Towels worth around Rs 75,000 used to wrap the newly born babies born at the hospital/Lady Goschen were handed over to Dr Savitah BS- the Medical Superintendent by minister Kota Poojary, and MLA Vedavyas Kamath distributed jackets to the volunteers and Youth Red Cross unit members.
