No 3-hour wait for CT scan, contractor changed, says RGGGH dean
Dr K Shantaraman speaks to DT Next over allegations of bribery and rats in canteen on social media
Issues like dead cockroaches in RO drinking water and a broken wheelchair at the hospital were rectified
CHENNAI: Unhygienic sanitation, visible bribery and long waiting hours for a CT scan due to lack of equipment: Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) was hit with a barrage of allegations after a social media post went viral on May 16.
Jai Ganesh, an activist who had visited the hospital with an acquaintance for treatment, took to X to share photos and detailed accusations of mice running around the canteen, cockroach-infested RO water, and bribes being demanded even for a wheelchair or head shave with amounts ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 200.
The post also claimed that the emergency ward operated with just one CT scan machine, forcing patients to wait for over three hours. Several users shared their own similar experiences, putting the city’s largest and busiest government hospitals in a tough spot.
“This is a hospital that sees over 45,000 people a day,” said Dr K Shantaraman, dean, RGGGH. “We follow a strict cleaning routine. The previous contractor’s term ended recently, they might’ve become lethargic towards the end. We’ve now brought in new contractors, inducted 15 machines, and 600 personnel are on daily cleaning duty. You’ll see the results by June.”
DT Next visited the hospital the following day. While the issues flagged in the post, especially regarding sanitation were sorted out. However, bribery persists. At least on some scale. Vignesh Kumar, a visitor, said he was asked to pay Rs 200 for a wheelchair but managed to negotiate it down to Rs 100.
Dr Shantaraman responded with guarded honesty. “I neither accept nor deny it,” he said. “If it’s true, we take it seriously. We rotate contract staff regularly. We have monitoring teams who act quickly when such issues are reported. Preventing this entirely is difficult, but we do have a complaint forum and we’re alert.”
On the issue of CT scan delays, he dismissed the claim of a three-hour wait. “That’s not possible in the emergency ward. Scans are done in 30 minutes at most. Delays, if any, would be in receiving the report. Night hours might see some crowding, but patients aren’t kept waiting for critical scans.