Shortage of staff, equipment at PGIMS

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, July 17

The acute shortage of diagnostic, anaesthesia, surgical and critical-care equipment as well as doctors, nurses and paramedics at the local PGIMS has been causing grave inconvenience to thousands of patients on a daily basis, but the authorities “concerned” appear unmoved over their plight.

It was recently reported in these columns how condemned anaesthesia equipment were used for a long time at the PGIMS operation theatres. Apart from the anaesthesia machines, the institute has also been grappling with a chronic shortage of MRI, CT Scan, ultrasound and X-ray machines, ventilators, dialysis machines and different surgical equipment for years.

Shockingly, the institute, which caters to more than 5,000 patients on an average daily, has only one MRI machine, one CT scan machine and two functional ultrasound machines for the general patients.

As the proposals to procure new equipment and get the old ones repaired remain stuck in red tape, the hapless patients have no option but to wait for their turn for several months even for diagnostic procedures. A proposal to procure much-needed ventilators, anesthesia machines and specialized surgical equipment was recently shot down reportedly due to an audit objection.

The resident doctors are made to work for 70 to 100 hours a week, many a time up to 36 hours at a stretch, in gross violation of the relevant norms. The first-year students of MD/MS courses, who work as junior resident doctors, are expected to be at the institute and on their toes 24X7.

As against the requirement of 3,000 nurses, only nearly 800 are working at the institute, and similar is the case of paramedics.

Two to three patients lying on a single bed is a common sight, especially in the pediatric wards and gynaecology labour room.

Some consultants have been bringing their personal room-coolers to the consultation rooms during their working hours as the PGIMS administration has failed to provide for the air-conditioning arrangements this year as well. Serious allegations of corruption and other irregularities have been leveled against several consultants, including a few senior faculty members and heads of departments. Some of them have remained suspended for some time, but they have been reinstated and it’s “business” as usual at the institute.

Curiously, amidst the given circumstances, Haryana Health Minister recently “raided” the PGIMS for two consecutive days, and on his suggestion, the institute authorities have initiated the process of appointing patient-friendly guides to help the patients. The PGIMS authorities maintain that the process for the procurement of the requisite equipment as well as recruitment of doctors is in progress.