The CSI Lombard Hospital | Photo: Bibhash Dash
Udupi: When Eva Lombard came to Udupi from Switzerland in 1923, it was the dearth of proper medical facilities in the region that made her return a year and half later and start the CSI Lombard Hospital. The hospital started functioning from a bungalow in Udupi to the joy, praise and excitement of many.
The hospital survived successfully for almost 80 years but over the past 4-5 years the reputation of the hospital has gone down. The influx of patients has been at an all time low and various reasons have been cited for this drastic change.
The hospital is run by an authority consisting of 10 members. As vaguely said by few hospital staff, it is due to the internal politics and a few issues over religious matters that the team is refusing to hand over the hospital to anyone else who wishes to renovate and bring new facilities and equipment for the betterment of the hospital and surrounding people.
As told by a hospital employee who wishes to remain unnamed, a few years ago one Dr. Acharya had taken over the hospital and tried to introduce modern technology and renovate this ancient looking hospital to suit the present demands. His plans, as believed, were par excellence and he had all the necessary equipments and finance but much to his disappointment, the hospital authority turned down his offer and hence he chose to leave the hospital. Today he has his private clinic near Ambalpadi, Malpe.
The lack of proper facilities has brought down the number of patients and slowly the inflow of money has also stopped and today the hospital lies in debt. What once was a 200 bed hospital is today reduced to a capacity of 100 beds, of which only about 50 remain occupied.
There are no full-time consultants as they all leave after 2 pm everyday to carry out their private practice elsewhere. Also, the doctors and nurses are not being paid on time. "The nurses have not been paid their salaries for the past 7 months but they refuse to leave the hospital for the love they have, they say that they will be with us during our bad times and help the hospital come up back to its position," says a Senior doctor who wishes to remain anonymous.
"The hospital does not want to help itself. Today there is such stiff competition with new hospitals coming up everyday with the best of facilities, if CSI does not do anything fast it is bound to collapse," says Ranga Shetty, an aged localite who has seen the hospital during its highs and lows.
In the beginning, ‘Kanarese Mission’ and later on ‘Basel Mission’ took the lead in supporting the hospital financially. From time to time, when the hospital was in need of funds for various purposes, money and help came through various sources. But now the hospital has no financial support at all and the authority refuses to take external help from any source. An American team recently visited the hospital and offered help but the authorities refused on unknown grounds.
"I have been going to this hospital for 15 years now and what sets this hospital apart from others is that the faculty is very friendly and caring. I genuinely hope the hospital comes out of its situation and all the debts are cleared," says a hopeful resident nearby, Shamala Iyer.
Sub-edited by Ruchika Sharma |
