Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Shortage of life saving ventilators in GMC

Inquiry committee says no discrepancies in purchase of ventilators


Tahir Mushtaq


JAMMU, July 21: The enquiry committee which was constituted regarding the discrepancy in purchase of ventilators in the emergency ward of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has said that there is no discrepancies in their purchase. 

Talking to TNI In-Charge Principle, GMCH Jammu, Dr. Aniece Chowdhary said that in both the reports the allegations concerning scam of ventilators in new emergency block have proved false.
 

Dr Chowdhary maintained as per the reports the missing ventilators from the block are actually under repairing.
 

It is pertinent to mention here that the after the reply of one of the RTI filed by Som Nath Dabgotra seeking information regarding the quality, quantity, cost and name of purchasing committee of equipments installed in new emergency block of GMCH.
 

As per the reply of RTI there should be 14 ventilators in New Emergency Block of GMCH but now at present there are only eight ventilators installed.
 

Moreover Dabgotra said that if an independent body will investigate all the equipments about their quality, cost, name of purchasing committee with of all the equipments, amount allocated, amount actually spent on construction of GMCH besides operation theaters, lifts, cabins, fire system, water system, sanitation system, lighting air condition system then there will be more than 100 crore scam in GMCH.
 

Dabgotra maintained that if one equipment that is the ventilator has scam of more than one crore, so how much level of corruption will be found after investigating all these equipments.
 

The only government-run specialised Gynaecology and Paediatrics hospital in the region - Shri Maharaja Ghulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital - has only one ventilator functional.
 

Sources revealed that the hospital has only one ventilator as of now and all patients who are required to be put on artificial respiratory support system are shifted to already over-burdened Government Medical College hospital (GMC) Jammu. They said that about one year back administration had procured an additional ventilator for the new Paediatrics block, but it is also lying nonp-functional as there are no required doctors and para-medical staff.
 

“Hospital is faced with shortage of manpower, equipment and infrastructure but we cannot do anything in this regard as decision has to be taken by the government to fill the vacancies to run equipments. We have to wait for the decisions of the administration” said a senior Doctor, preferring not to be named.
 

Pertinent to mention here that 550-bed hospital was overburdened with the burgeoning number of patients.
 

The hospital accommodates more than 700 indoor patients on regular basis - a number beyond its existing capacity. Officials said that it is not only the lack of ventilators but the shortage of the doctors and para-medical staff was also casting shadow on the other departments like ENT and related branches of medical science.

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