ESI Hospital going easy on goons

KOCHI: The Employees State Insurance (ESI) conducted a probe into the allegations of anti-social elements trespassing into the hospital premises near  INS Dronacharya at Fort Kochi on Friday. The Regional Director of ESI Hospital, North, who conducted the inquiry, confirmed that the staff have been facing problems from anti-social elements.The residents are of the opinion that the hospital is in the grip of anti-social elements. “There are many cases where the hospital staff have received threat calls from goons. Many of them are hesitant to come for  duty after 5 pm,” said Ashraf, a resident.  The patients are at the receiving end. Owing to the shortage of staff and doctors, many patients had to resort to private hospitals, he said. The doctors and other staff at the hospital too have their versions. “We are not deliberately avoiding any patients. As the hospital premises are haunted by the anti-social elements, the patients are unwilling to turn up after 5 pm. We too have our own apprehensions. We are scared to work under such risky situations,” said an ESI staff. He, however, does not dismiss these problems as new. “There has not been any attempt from the ESI Corporation to clean the area. It looks more or less like a forest. Anti-social elements can easily make it their dwelling,”  he said.Surprisingly, the police dismiss the incidents as mere allegations. “There aren’t anti-socials on the hospital premises,” they said. Earlier, the hospital staff had complained about the threat from some of the locals. We have tackled the issue, a cop said. There were instances in which a group of people from the area used the hospital compound for boozing. But, after the compound wall was constructed, there were hardly any report of such incidents, he said.  Moreover, the shortage of doctors has landed the hospital in deep trouble. As per rules, the hospital should have three doctors, with each of them consulting 60 patients. But with the increase in the number of patients and with two doctors on duty the staff at the hospital are running from pillar to post to manage the patients.