Madurai: Crores spent on infrastructure development have done little to ensure basic amenities at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), where patients and their attendants continue to struggle with inadequate waiting facilities, uncovered passages, stray dogs and delays in accessing services.
The shortcomings at south Tamil Nadu ’s largest tertiary care hospital, which serves patients from 10 districts, expose the gap between infrastructure expansion and conditions on the ground. Patients requiring treatment in different blocks are transported through an open stretch between the old GRH building and the JICA-funded tower, which has 247 beds. Patients reported waiting around 15 minutes to collect prescribed medicines, with elderly people, pregnant women and attendants accompanying sick relatives among those affected.
They have no protection from the weather,” said an S Angammal. K Shanmugam of Anupanadi, who brought his son for fever treatment, said he had noticed several dogs moving around since morning. Some even drool in the corridors, posing a potential health risk,” he said. A senior GRH official, however, said an existing ramp above the former shelter opposite the CeMONC block had been converted into a dedicated waiting area for attendants and was already operational. The official acknowledged the other concerns raised by patients and said the hospital administration would initiate corrective measures at the earliest.
With no covered passage connecting the facilities, even patients on stretchers and wheelchairs are exposed to scorching heat and rain. “Patients who cannot walk are being shifted through the open area. Adding to their difficulties, stray dogs roam freely through hospital corridors and open spaces used for moving patients between buildings. During a visit, TOI found dogs inside the premises, while attendants complained they even entered wards occasionally. Their presence has raised questions about patient safety and the hospital’s ability to maintain hygiene in areas frequented by vulnerable patients. “A hospital should be clean and safe. Patients should not have to encounter stray dogs inside. Long queues outside the pharmacy have compounded the inconvenience.