What a relief to women

Until recently, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), located right opposite Chennai Central station, has been the perfect place for alms seekers and travellers to spend the night, free of cost, and go their way the next morning. 

The waiting rooms at the hospital were overcrowded on a regular basis with women and children who spend nights there, with their safety compromised, waiting for the recovery of a loved one admitted there. 

“Nearly 90 per cent of those occupying the waiting rooms are not attenders. We have taken up this issue with the Resident Medical Officer and the Dean, however, nothing has been done till now,” alleged a policeman on duty at the hospital’s police outpost. “As the main entrance to the towers – I and II - are locked every night, people tend to enter through the Casualty ward. They claim that they have no place to stay or money to book a room outside and that they need to consult a doctor in the morning. Sometimes, even alms seekers are found here. Such factors have brought up the question of safety provided to attenders,” said another police officer, who has been posted here for over two decades. However, with the launch of a night shelter for women at the hospital, the patients’ kin now have an option to stay in a comfortable and safe place. Though the new shelter is in a quiet corner inside the hospital, systems are in place. “A security guard is on duty at the shelter at 7 pm every night. The shelter is locked from the inside at 10 pm. If there is an emergency case and the attenders of the patient want to stay here, we open the gates after receiving a call from Casualty. Also, if someone has to step out due to an emergency, we let them. The shelter is open to admission 24x7,” said Suriya Natrajan, Coordinator of the women’s night shelter.    

“Earlier, there were only open sheds provided at the hospital, where both men and women stayed. Though, it was claimed to be safe, I was never comfortable there. I always felt I was being watched and therefore, I took a small room on rent near the hospital. However, after the night shelter was launched, I shifted here,” said Malini (name changed), whose husband is undergoing dialysis at Stanley Hospital. “The night shelters have come as a real blessing to many of us women. It is clean and extremely safe. We sleep with no fear and that is what we have been hoping for,” she added. Commenting on the status of the waiting rooms, Dr Narayanasamy, Medical Superintendent, RGGGH, said, “Usually, there are security guards in front of each tower, who see to it that outsiders don’t enter. In addition, police also go on rounds. I have not received complaints of problems caused in the waiting areas in the hospital, nor of any ill treatment meted out to women.” 

The government hospitals see a massive number of footfalls, of both patients and their attenders daily.

Average number outpatients per day: 10,000-15,000

Average number of inpatients per day: 3,000 

Normally about 4 attenders accompany a patient 

Number of doctors at RGGGH: 900 (approx.)

Average number of outpatients per day: 6,000-8,000

Average number of inpatients per day: 2000

Three to 10 attenders for each inpatient 

Number of doctors 400 (approx.)

Stanley Medical College & Hospital  

Kilpauk Medical College & Hospital

The Ramasamy Mudaliyar Maternity Hospital (attached to Stanley Hospital)

Institute of Child Health

Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

A bedsheet, pillow and mat are provided to the attender

Dinner from Amma canteens 

Toilets and bathrooms 

A small cupboard for each attender to keep his or her bags

Plans are on to build night shelters at the Government Royapettah Hospital and the Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children.

Due to the lack of space, the Institute for Child Health, Egmore, does not have a men’s night shelter on its premises. 

A men’s night shelter will be launched at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital once the third tower is constructed