NDMC and the Works - Or does it ?

Veterinary Hospital, Moti Bagh

Medical Superintendent: Dr. Harishchandra
· Indoor treatment round-the-clock OPD,
· X-ray facilities,
· Surgical operations,
· Vaccination/ immunisation of pets during office hours

The NDMC veterinary hospital at Moti Bagh was once touted as the one of the best Veterinary facility in Delhi along with hospitals like Sanjay Gandhi and Army Veterinary Hospital. One glance at the Hospital and you would realise that the standards have fallen. The hospital bore a deserted look, despite the rush at the OPD. The Hospital was once the epitome of veterinary research and services. Now however the doctors and the staff themselves accept that the hospital which was established in the 1960’s can not claim the same anymore. Overall, the hospital was quite empty and looked clean and hygienic.

OPD

The hospital works in two shifts of 8am to 2pm and 2pm to 8pm, and the OPD sees an average of 100-120 patients everyday. It caters to animals of all kinds, but mostly cats and dogs. The OPD has one doctor and two compounders in each shift. The doctor seemed to be very capable and disposed off the cases efficiently. The pet owners were satisfied with the treatment being offered and almost all of them were regulars. All treatments and medicines provided are free of cost, but the hospital is ill-stocked for most medicines. This poses a trouble for the patients’ owners as the nearest pharmacy is at Basrurkar Market which is a 15 minute long drive. The doctors in the OPD work on contractual basis, and they are paid full pay.

We spoke to the OPD doctor present, Dr. Mathur who reiterated their need for more medicines. He also told us that the hospital only receives funds from government sanctions by NDMC. Unlike Friendicoes SECA which is a private venture, they do not receive any donations.

Surgery and Emergency Services

The hospital has one surgeon on call from 9am to 4pm, Dr. Pramod Kumar, who has been working in the hospital since 1989. He performs an average of one to two surgeries daily, for which appointments have to be sought beforehand. He said that presently there are no appointments available till 23rd of October. In case of emergencies though, he does undertake extra surgeries whenever necessary. The hospital has a well equipped high-tech operation theatre, post surgery care room and recovery room. When asked if the government provides them enough funds for necessary equipment Dr. Kumar said, “Surgery is my passion, therefore even if the government does not provide it, I buy the equipments myself.” He too believes that the hospital has deteriorated since the 1990’s. He has a few theories on this. He believes that the major reason for the apparent decline is the lack of availability of trained full time staff, both doctors and others. “They (NDMC) do not pay enough” he says. “If only they had better pay, doctors would stay and not leave looking for greener pastures.”


Facilities and Services

The deterioration of facilities and services on offer are one of the major reasons for the glaring decline in the hospital’s fortunes. The hospital, once known as the most modern and highly equipped has taken a turn for the worse.
· OPD facility for patients, free of cost
· Vaccination and other schemes such as neutering, etc
· Highly equipped X-Ray Lab
· The diagnostic laboratory which was also used for research purpose has now been shifted to the hospital in Palam, as the authorities thought that it would be utilised best elsewhere.
· The first and only electric crematorium of Delhi which was started in the hospital campus has now been shut down, due to lack of maintenance and manpower.
· The large animal section has now been closed due to change in laws w.r.t. breeding of large animals in Delhi.
· The hospital has stopped offering WARD facility and does not admit patients anymore.
· It has deactivated its dog-catching schemes
· The hospital has stopped providing housing facility to doctors and staff in the campus.


Administration

The Hospital seemed sufficiently staffed, as far as administration department was concerned. But the same could not be said of their working. The administration staff was seen playing cards for hours together. They refused to show their Log book/Attendance register. The medical superintendent Dr. Harishchandra was unavailable for comment as he was away on a meeting.

Owner/Patient Speak

Almost all the pet-owners we spoke to were extremely satisfied with the treatment offered and the success rate in all cases. They were lavish in their praise for doctors both in the OPD and Surgery Wing. Mr. Thukral, who brings his Rottweilers to the hospital regularly, said “the thing that satisfies me the most is the sincerity in efforts while treating the patient, which is missing in other hospitals and private/charitable organisations like Freindicoes SCEA.” “The others are purely commercial” he added.

We wonder if the “patients” themselves would have anything different to say. But it if you ask them, all they would want is to go back to the confines of their homes with their loved ones, cured and safe.