Silchar, June 5: Severe shortage of beds in the Silchar Medical College and Hospital has added to the woes of patients as they have been forced to sleep on the ground in and outside the wards.

The situation is the worst in the obstetrics and gynaecology department where mothers are seen lying on the ground with their newborns.

"He was born just six days ago and is not well but the doctors told us to leave the bed for other patients. We have no choice left except to sleep on the ground. We cannot take him home as he is not well. We are also worried that he is not checked up regularly by doctors and nurses," Rabina Begum, an anxious mother, told this correspondent.

"The obstetrics and gynaecology department has 60 beds and daily around 100 patients visit the department. Looking at the number of patients, the department needs another 250 beds," said a doctor of the medical college who did not want to be identified.

During a recent inspection by a four-member team of the Medical Council of India, the patients were not allowed to share a bed. "Otherwise, because of scarcity of beds two mothers share a single bed, sometimes with their babies adjusted in one corner," the doctor said.

The principal of Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Shilpi Rani Barman, said everyday they receive more patients than the beds.

"We do not refuse any patient and allow them to sleep on the ground. We cannot do anything here. Almost all the departments need more beds, considering the present flow of patients," she added.

The number of patients, especially in obstetrics and gynaecology department, has increased because of lack of referral units in Cachar district. Moreover, critical cases are referred to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital from Karimganj and Hailakandi districts as well.

Cachar joint director of health services Sudip Jyoti Das admitted that the district lacks referral units, resulting in huge rush of patients in the medical college. The referral unit at Kalain, 30km from here, has not been functioning for long.

He said they have sent a request to the state director of health services to open referral units in the district.

Moreover, primary health centres in the rural areas are facing acute shortage of medicine and staff. These centres also often refer patients to the medical college.