‘No Doctor for a Week Now’: Firozabad Residents Turn To Private Clinics

Video Producer: Mayank Chawla

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

Amid the blaring ambulance sirens and shrill cries of help, the increasing number of cases of dengue and fever in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad has been coupled with medical apathy and negligence in Firozabad’s Sofipur and Nagla Chura village.

The Quint visited these villages to take stock of the negligence on the part of the doctors and the concerned authorities.

With overcrowded hospitals, the villagers turn to the local primary health centre, their second ray of hope, but, amid all the chaos and health crisis in the district, the health centre remains shut.

"When it is operational, there is no doctor at the disposal of patients here. The centre has been closed for almost a week now. We have even complained to concerned authorities."

A resident of Nagla Chura village

RESIDENTS TURN TO PRIVATE CLINICS

The helpless residents have turned to private clinics, which are packed to the brim. At these clinics, modest rooms have doubled up as wards amid the recent surge in patients complaining of fever. Men, women and children can be seen recuperating on benches with drip bottles hung on the walls of these rooms.

"There are no nurses at the hospital. The doctor comes in at 11 am and leaves at 2 pm. There is no support from the authorities or the government."

Kishori Lal, Resident of Nagla Chura village

While villagers show a lot of faith in doctors at these clinics admitting patients by flouting norms, senior doctors in the hospitals blamed medical practitioners at local clinics for the increase in cases of critical patients.

Situation at a private clinic in Nagla Chura village in Firozabad district. Dozens of patients with complaint of fever recuperating on benches. Their attendants claim the condition is worse at government hospitals. pic.twitter.com/xdxadtVjIb

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) September 14, 2021

"Families approach local clinics and consult quacks during the early stages of illness. The patients are referred to the hospital only after their condition deteriorates."

A doctor at Firozabad Medical College

In a crackdown by the health department in the district, FIRs under Sections of IPC 419 (punishment for cheating by personation) and Medical Council Act were registered against eight quacks and notices were sent to 200 unauthorised clinics.