Peeved by the alleged apathy and discrimination meted out to Dhanwanthari Service Society (DSS) by the Ernakulam General Hospital, Dhanwanthari Service Society Samrakshana Samithi is set to take its ongoing indefinite stir to the District Collector’s camp office from August 18.
The samithi had lodged its protest in front of the DSS operating out of the General Hospital compound raising a slew of issues on July 31. Prominent among the issues was an alleged partition wall that blocked access to DSS pharmacy for patients from the out-patient wing of the hospital thus depriving the pharmacy of much-needed business. The samithi had gone to the extent of calling it a caste wall to bleed to death the DSS, which was launched back in 1985 with the primary objective of financially uplifting Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
“Though within the hospital premises, the DSS pharmacy can be accessed by patients only by exiting the compound and approaching it from outside. This was to deny business to the pharmacy in favour of the hospital development committee’s pharmacy at the hospital. DSS had been operating the pharmacy and providing medicines at very low rates to the poor long before the advent of the HDC,” said Sunil C. Kuttappan, general convener of the committee.
However, hospital superintendent Shahirsha dispelled the allegation saying that the partition was there all along, and that its height was enhanced to make room for a ramp for patients. He further said that DSS had been operating without registration for the past 29 years.
Mr. Kuttappan, however, challenged this claiming that DSS in Ernakulam was registered under the Societies Registration Act with the registration number ER. 200/86. He also drew attention to the fact that the Collector was the president of DSS and the hospital superintendent the secretary.
Though DSS is being implemented by the Health department, funds are being provided by the Centre. DSS has presence in seven districts, and the one in Ernakulam was the second to be established back in 1986.
DSS used to offer a variety of services other than pharmacy including ambulance service, mobile freezer unit, refreshment stall, photostat and DTP, and mortuary assistance. However, the ambulance service remains almost defunct with the number of ambulances dropping from a previous high of seven to just one, which itself is in disrepair. The overall staff number of DSS had also dropped from a previous high of 45 to around 25 owing to lack of support.