SGPGI docs expose poor state

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SGPGI docs expose poor state

Times of India - India*

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/SGPGI_docs_expose_poor_sta

te/articleshow/3641615.cms

LUCKNOW: The faculty forum of Sanjay Gandhi Post-graduate Institute

of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) has dropped a bomb shell.

In a letter sent to institute's additional director, recently, the

forum comprising senior doctors from the institute has raised

serious questions pertaining to patient care services.

The letter dated, September 12, sent to the AD who happens to be the

staff officer of UP chief secretary, categorically highlights

the ``poor patient care services'' in the institute.

The letter starts off with: " Is this hospital environment safe for

patients? The answer is NO. " The forum added: " Air-conditioning does

not work optimally. This has resulted in breeding of bacteria and

fungus. Microbiology reports confirm that operation theatres are

unsafe as patients frequently get hospital acquired infection with

the most common being fungal infections. No action in this regard

has been initiated by the administrators. "

The forum has also raised its concern over the hospital revolving

fund. President of the forum, Dr PK Singh, in the letter said that

the fund was an all supply mission which served the institute very

well for the past 7 years, but has now turned into a ``no supply

mission since the past 2 years.'' " This has seriously affected the

patients treatment, even as basic material like dressing materials

(cotton, spirit, gowns and linen) are not available for months " .

According to institute sources, HRF was started in 1997 with the

motto `mission supply all' and covered all drugs, consumables and

disposable items required for the patient care in the entire

hospital. " Several faculty members burnt midnight oil for months and

years to give shape to this unique system. The system became so

famous that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and

Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,

Chandigarh (PGIMER) became interested in imitating the system, " said

a member of faculty forum.

But today, the letter states, the HRF is so poorly stocked that

common utility items like spirit and cotton remain unavailable for

days and weeks and faculty participation in it has been reduced

significantly. The forum hence demanded reconstitution of a high

powered committee on the pattern of 1997-98.

The forum has also slammed the institute administration for

dismantling the centralised transport system which helped

transportation of patients from one part of the institute to

another. A forum member said that it is because of this that

attendants are often seen pulling stretchers of their patients.

The letter also dwells into the security lapses which have been

haunting the institute for the past many months. The letter states

that there have been near disasters in the ICU areas and operation

theatres in the recent past. The oxygen pipeline system which

supplies oxygen to patients on ventilators has been cut a number of

times to steal copper pipes. The consequences can be imagined.

When contacted, chief medical superintendent, Dr AK Bhatt termed the

allegations baseless.

" As far as the centralised transport system is concerned, around 20

persons were employed there. And all of them used to sit idle. Can

anyone explain as to why the institute should pay employees who are

sitting idle, " he said.

On the issue of hospital revolving fund, the CMS said that they

dismantled the system because there was an assembly question. " We

were asked to why drugs are purchased through a rate contract

system? Hence we started floating tenders and the lowest bidder was

invited, " he said.