Patients at a hospital in Riyadh are forced to bring their own portable mini air-conditioners and other appliances to keep themselves comfortable following frequent breakdowns of air-conditioning units in the hospital.
Inpatients and their families have been complaining about this never-ending problem that forces them to bring in their own appliances until they are fit to leave the hospital.
According to a source, the problem has been dogging the hospital for the past two years. The Ministry of Health is also aware of the issue. “We have brought it to the notice of the Ministry several times through letters and faxes but so far, there has been no solution,” he said, adding that the air-conditioners in place were installed 29 years ago.
Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Hospital serves residents in the west of Riyadh, including the neighborhoods of Dhahra, Al-Badiea, Al-Urajaha, a limited-income neighborhood, Al-Swaidi and Shabra.
According to official statistics, over 2 million people reside in these neighborhoods. “The load on the hospital is huge, with several patients referred to the hospital every day despite limited medical services available,” an official pointed out.
He called on the Ministry of Health to move fast and solve the problem and develop other services at the hospital. Any visitor walking through the hospital’s corridors can see these mini air-conditioners in both the men’s and women’s sections put in place to beat the summer heat.
A visit to the hospital by a reporter revealed several other shortcomings that need urgent addressing, including the low-quality level of treatment and services offered to patients and visitors alike.
Although one can see new buildings constructed beside the main building of the hospital, they are yet to become operational.
Hospital sources have said that patients can’t take the heat in their rooms, although healthcare services mandate the provision of temperature-controlled rooms for patients’ comfort. “We can’t afford this, so we ask the patients to bring their own appliances until the problem is solved,” he said.
One patient said his room’s airconditioner has not been working since the beginning of Ramadan. “The temperature is unbearable in the room, so I was forced to buy my own portable air-conditioner,” he said, adding that the hospital served a huge number of patients because of its location in highly populated neighborhoods.
Some social networking sites have held debates in the past few days on the poor medical services and treatment provided by the hospital.
Patients forced to bring own appliances to hospital rooms
