The administration in government-run premier Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) hospital here is feeling helpless over the prolonged occupancy of a special ward by a patient, so much, that it has referred the matter to Shimla Police.

The case relates to a 70-year-old female patient from Shimla district with problems of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis. She was admitted to IGMC on 12 March, 2018 under the care of Medicine department.

Official sources said while the attendants of patient were repeatedly asked by the administration over the last few days to shift her to general ward, there was allegedly no response.

The IGMC’s medical board on 8 May examined the patient and held that she had shown gradual improvement with treatment. The medical board opined that no active intervention was required and she only required supportive care.

The board said she can be managed at a local hospital and referred to zonal hospital, Shimla, civic hospital Rohroo and civil hospital Jubbal as per her willing.

The patient was handed over the discharge slip on 9 May, but the ward was allegedly not vacated.

“The attendant of patient did not listen to our requests to shift to general ward all through. He is not vacating special ward even after discharge, so I have referred the issue to SP, Shimla,” said Dr Janak Raj, Senior Medical Superintendent at IGMC hospital.

Dr Janak, a neurosurgeon in IGMC, was appointed the Sr MS in the hospital in first week of April.

“My mother’s condition is not good. She needs an attendant all the time. Where do we go? The general ward is not comfortable. I requested the administration that I will pay the rent for the days we occupied special ward, and will even pay day wise till we vacate the room, but they are not agreeing,” said patient’s attendant (son), Jaswant Singh.

Dr Janak Raj, however, said this was just one incident. The problem is that everyone wants special ward in this 900 bedded hospital, which has 42 special wards, including Doctors, Nurses and students sick rooms.

“We need to streamline this. Very soon, I will make the process of allotment of special wards transparent, maybe online and as per need.” He said as per his observation, the people don’t want to get admitted to general wards because of poor status of toilets.

“We are planning for separate toilets and bathrooms for the attendants in IGMC, which will also take care of some problems,” he added.