Gurgaon: Govt hospitals in Farrukhnagar, Pataudi, and Sohna are grappling with crumbling infrastructure and systemic lapses, with patients and attendants saying that even basic amenities are out of reach.While authorities are working on building a new civil hospital in the city, primary healthcare facilities in these areas are also in urgent need of repair and restoration.During recent visits, TOI found the gaps first-hand — a lack of clean washrooms, poor hygiene, and limited emergency care — all of which have been forcing even the most serious cases to be referred elsewhere.Staff shortage at these facilities was evident, and medical records were inconsistently maintained. Dependence on referrals to larger hospitals in Gurgaon was heavy, with little in-house capacity to manage complications, reinforcing patient concerns about the reliability of care at these block-level hospitals.At the sub-district hospital in Farrukhnagar, taps ran dry in washrooms; washbasins were either clogged or coated with thick dust, and waste bins were overflowing.The 50-bed civil hospital, which became operational in 2024, is struggling with daily upkeep. “This is a basic facility. There should at least be running water in washrooms,” said a young mother waiting outside the OPD. “It feels like walking into a germ room and getting infected in a hospital.” Patients said cases are routinely referred to larger hospitals. While some equipment is available on paper, trained staff are not always posted to operate it. Record-keeping and digital health systems, patients said, remain inconsistent, leading to delays and repeat visits.The hospital building itself is still incomplete, with the third and fourth floors under construction. Patients also flagged safety concerns at the entrance, where the main gate opens directly onto an uncovered drain. “If someone is not careful, an accident can easily happen,” said Ram Kumar, a patient.In Pataudi, the govt hospital struggles with emergencies. Manish Yadav, who rushed there with an injured family member, said the response was an immediate referral. “They told me to take my brother to Gurgaon. Why is this hospital here if patients have to be taken to Gurgaon for everything?” he asked.Patients and attendants also pointed to gaps in basic systems that affect daily care. Medicine availability is uneven, with some drugs frequently out of stock. Even the water supply pump meant to feed the overhead tank does not function reliably, raising concerns about sanitation and routine hospital use.Monitoring mechanisms for vulnerable patients are patchy. Systems meant to track high-risk pregnancies, postnatal care, and breastfeeding outcomes are inconsistently followed, according to patients. Kaushalya Devi, a pregnant woman waiting for a routine check-up, said follow-up care is erratic despite her condition being flagged as high-risk. “We are asked to come many times, yet we rarely get to see the doctor,” she said.During a visit, TOI also found that staff identity displays were irregular, making it difficult for patients to know which doctors or nurses were on duty. Digital health processes such as ABHA ID creation and record linkage remained minimal, adding to repeated paperwork and delays.Sohna’s sub-district hospital reflects a deeper institutional decline, beginning with the building itself. Across the campus, cracked walls, peeling plaster, exposed wiring, and damaged electrical panels are hard to miss. Near the main gate, a broken sewer lid remains uncovered, posing a constant risk to patients and visitors walking in and out.Inside the hospital, X-ray facilities shut by late afternoon, while blood sample collection ends around noon, leaving patients who arrive later with little option but to return the next day or seek private care.Manoj Singh, whose four-year-old son was brought in sick, described a long and uncertain night at the hospital. “No one works here after dark. I came with my son last night, and after more than four hours we could finally see a doctor. My son only got treatment in the morning. There is hardly anyone in the hospital at night,” he said, sitting outside the paediatric ward.Taken together, patients said Sohna’s sub-district hospital functions more as a limited outpatient facility than a reliable public health institution, with infrastructure decay, reduced service hours, and gaps in care leaving residents increasingly vulnerable.When asked about the condition of these facilities, Gurgaon chief medical officer Lokveer Singh told TOI, “We will investigate all the issues. There are separate hospital heads for all these setups, but I will take up these matters.”
