Patna, Dec. 9: Gardanibagh Hospital can only conduct planned surgeries and Phulwarisharif resident Ramesh Prasad learnt it the dear way.

A fortnight ago, Ramesh took his wife Seema Devi to the hospital after her labour pains started. The doctor recommended a C-section but asked Ramesh to take Seema to a private hospital for delivery - all for the alleged lack of an anaesthetist.

"After going through the reports of my wife, the doctor told me that a caesarean was the only option left because of the baby's wrong position," Ramesh told The Telegraph today when he took Seema to the outpatient department of Gardanibagh Hospital for a routine postnatal check-up. "The doctor expressed inability to conduct a C-section at the hospital as they had no anaesthetist. I was asked to take Seema to some other hospital without delay."

Officials differ on the post of an anaesthetist. Hospital deputy superintendent Manjula Rani claimed there isn't a post for an anaesthetist but has one on deputation - who is absent for 20 days for illness - but civil surgeon G.S. Singh said there is a post.

Manjula Rani said: "We have to arrange for anaesthetists from other government hospitals all the time but in many cases, we do not get one on time. This is why we do not take up many cases because patients would then have to wait long for the surgery."

"It's nothing short of irony that the hospital is supposed to conduct C-section and tubectomy (surgical sterilisation) but there is no post for an anaesthetist at the hospital," said a doctor on condition of anonymity.

So, while some like Ramesh and his wife have to rush to private hospitals, some others find themselves to be lucky. Saristabad resident Santosh Kumar was one such person.

His wife Anisa Kumari was rushed to the same hospital on December 6 after labour pain. Hers had to be a C-section too, but the hospital managed to get an anaesthetist in two hours for the operation.

Health department spokesperson-cum-deputy secretary Anil Kumar said "I would look into the issue" when asked about the lack of an anaesthetist at the hospital.

Gardanibagh Hospital is also short on drugs and necessary machines. "Ultrasound is an important machine for diagnosing the foetal abnormalities. When we get a complicated pregnancy case, we have to ask the patient to get the test done from a private facility," said Gardanibagh Hospital deputy superintendent Manjula Rani. "Anti-allergy drugs, anti-fungal creams are also not available."