SAT Hospital battles poor infrastructure, staff shortage and neglect; patients bear the brunt

Thiruvananthapuram: The Sree Avittom Thirunal (SAT) Hospital — a state-run women and children’s hospital — is grappling with severe infrastructure issues, staff shortages, and an acute lack of beds, mirroring the situation at the adjacent Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital (MCH). Despite the Health Department’s claims of major strides in Kerala’s medical sector, patients seeking treatment at SAT continue to face difficulty.

Rats, snakes, and stray dogs have become a constant concern for patients and their caregivers at the hospital. Snakes are frequently spotted not just in the compound but even inside the wards. Recently, one snake was killed by bystanders near Ward 3, though hospital authorities reportedly chose to keep the incident under wraps. In another case, a bystander sleeping on the veranda outside the same ward was bitten by a rat at night — an incident that the authorities covered up. Meanwhile, the growing number of stray dogs wandering around the hospital premises continues to add to the safety concerns.

Bed shortage
As in Thiruvananthapuram MCH, the shortage of beds is a major issue at SAT Hospital. The problem is most severe in Ward 2, where two patients are forced to share each bed. This leads to a lack of space for caregivers, who have to occupy the verandas of the ward and the hospital premises for some rest. 

It is alleged that the Health Department has refused to address the issue, even though it has persisted for years.

Facilities slashed
The authorities are also accused of not providing free treatment facilities to children, despite the government policies in this regard. A few days ago, a guest worker approached the hospital for the treatment of his child. However, the staff on duty at SAT hospital referred the child to the Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) located nearby. 

The guest worker, who had no money to pay the fees sought by SCTIMST, returned to SAT Hospital with the sick child. But the SAT hospital staff did not offer any treatment, citing language issues, and turned away the parent and his child.

Government programme sabotaged
In a controversial move, the SAT authorities have reportedly disrupted a government initiative that offered free transportation for mothers and newborns to their homes after delivery. The scheme, which covered patients residing within a 40 km radius of the hospital, has been arbitrarily modified by the authorities to restrict the facility only to those belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.

Endoscopy machine remains defunct
A paediatric gastroenterology endoscopy machine, purchased for nearly ₹1 crore three years ago, became operational only six months ago — and has already fallen out of service. Technicians said the machine developed faults after being left unused for an extended period. Despite this, no steps have been taken by the hospital authorities to repair or restore the equipment.