The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) authorities claim that hospitals in all the six institutes at Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Patna, Jodhpur, Rishikesh and Raipur would start functioning by August 15, this year.
However, they could not give satisfactory reply as how they would be functional in want of essential equipments and infrastructure. Directors of three institutes- Dr Sandeep Kumar (Bhopal), Dr AK Mahapatra (Bhubaneshwar) and Dr Raj Kumar (Rishikesh) were here on Friday to participate in a workshop at the Bhopal-based AIIMS.
On the sidelines of the workshop, these directors, while talking to media persons complained about the delay in the equipment procurement and construction in their institutes. They complained about the financial constraint mainly responsible for the situation, as they have limited powers to spend upto Rs one lakh only and all the purchases are made by a centralized committee for all the six AIIMS.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar Director Dr AK Mahapatra said that all the six AIIMS like institutions are identical . Every institution includes six sections residential complex for teachers and staff, hospital, main building, roads, operation theatres-trauma centre, auditorium etc. but none of these have been completed.
Dr Mahapatra further said, “Every section is important for a hospital, without completion other will be of less utility. For example, if a patient is being treated in the OPD and in the meantime his condition deteriorates and requires immediate surgery, we can not refer him to other hospitals stating that we lack equipments in the operation theatres.”
While talking about equipment procurement, Dr Sandeep Kumar told that the process of equipment procurement is very slow, the institution is not allowed to purchase equipment on its own, and on several occasions it seems that the process is slow, because the officers concerned themselves are afraid of the complicated procurement process.
AIIMS Bhopal had procured basic equipments and infrastructure for the lectures of first year MBBS students but they do not have authority to make major purchases and with less than three months remaining in starting of second year classes AIIMS Bhopal is lacking behind.
Dr Mahapatra said that AIIMS Bhubaneshwar is running late by over a year though OPD has started in the institution but they are lagging behind schedule, when it comes to operation theatres, trauma centre etc.
AIIMS Rishikesh Director Dr Raj Kumar bluntly said that AIIMS Rishikesh may not take off as there is no money in the hospital head and the construction work is lagging far behind and in some sections it had stopped completely.