THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Feb 1: Not everyone may be familiar with the term LAMA, but in hospital settings, it is far from uncommon. LAMA stands for Leaving Against Medical Advice, referring to cases where a patient is discharged before completing the full course of treatment.
There are various reasons why patients opt for LAMA—social, familial, financial, and more. However, the most common factors are the inability to afford medical expenses or a perceived lack of progress in recovery. When treatment costs become overwhelming or improvement seems slow, patients or their families often make the difficult decision to leave the hospital prematurely.
LAMA Cases Persist Despite Free Treatment
However, in the government-run malnutrition treatment centre there is absolutely no burden of cost on the parents who bring their malnourished children to the malnutrition treatment centre and here the malnourished children and their mothers are well taken care of.
Nutrition comes to the malnourished children free while Mothers get a sustenance allowance per day. As for the recovery, a malnourished child soon gains weight in the malnutrition treatment centre.
Nevertheless, mothers who bring in their malnourished children here leave the treatment midway and go away from the MTC against medical advice.
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Alarming LAMA Cases at Hussainabad MTC
Last year 2024 there were eight cases of LAMA here in the Hussainabad Malnutrition Treatment Centre (MTC).
This Hussainabad MTC is a poor occupancy MTC in the whole of the district Palamu’s four other MTCs namely at Chainpur CHC, Panki CHC, Sadar Hospital and Bishrampur CHC. (CHC is Community Health Centre).
According to the official data available to this correspondent, there were 117 admissions of malnourished children in Panki CHC in 2024 while the same 2024 Hussainabad Sub-Divisional Hospital MTC had only a poor 54 admissions of malnourished children here.
Panki CHC had no case of LAMA in 2024 while in Hussainabad Sub-Divisional Hospital MTC there were eight cases of LAMA as against the 54 admitted malnourished children.
Civil Surgeon Concerned Over Poor Performance
Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar said, “It’s not only a very dismal number of the admitted malnourished children just 54 in the whole of the year 2024, but also out of 54, eight went out midway against the medical advice, is a matter of grave concern and challenge.”
And further three months in 2024 namely January, November and December had no occupancy here in this MTC. It was nil for these three months.
Further for two months in 2024, there was just one malnourished child here in April and October.
Palamu’s malnourished children account for 43.8 per cent as per the last NFHS (National Family Health Survey). So by this account 54 admissions in only nine months in 2024 here in this MTC Hussainabad?
“The MTC in Hussainabad is in a terrible mess. It’s to be probed as to why there is such a low number of the admitted malnourished children and why there is the episode of LAMA,” Dr Anil suggested.
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Comparing MTC Performance Across Palamu
Chainpur CHC MTC recorded the highest number of admissions of malnourished children. It was 173 in 2024. There were 30 episodes of LAMA here in 2024.
Sadar MTC came second to Chainpur MTC. Sadar had 137 admitted malnourished children in 2024. Here in the Sadar MTC there were just eight cases of LAMA.
Hussainabad MTC has proved the worst non-performing MTC. It’s time to wind it up, said the insiders in this Sub-Divisional Hospital Hussainabad.
Need for Better Coordination With Anganwadi Kendras
Sources said the MTC will have to approach Anganwadi Kendras to refer malnourished children here for their appropriate treatment.
A close coordination between the MTC and the Anganwadi Kendras is required for the occupancy of the beds in the MTC which remains 50 to 60 per cent vacant every month even in this hunger-struck Palamu.
