With death toll of infants reaching 104 at MGM Medical College and Hospital, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Sudhir Tripathi, rushed to the hospital to see the ground reality of the situation.
Along with East Singhbhum Civil Surgeon KC Munda and Superintendent of MGM Medical College Hospital Bhartendu Bhushan, he inspected various departments of the hospital. He focussed on facilities available at Gynaecology and Paediatrics departments.
latter talking to newspersons, he said that the doctors did their best job to save lives of infants and they cannot be blamed. He accepted that there is lack of manpower at the hospital and the health department will make sure that the vacant posts are filled immediately. He said there is capacity of 40 infants while 120 have been admitted. Even the infant mortality is low in Jharkhand.
“We are concerned over the situation and want to address every issue. The strengths of doctors and other staff will be increased. Moreover, we have decided to shift Gynaecology and Paediatrics departments to new hospital building, which has capacity of 500 beds,” noted Tripathi.
When questioned over the findings of inspection, he said that a four-member team has carried probe and based on that report steps will be taken. The team, which also comprised director, medical education, A. N Mishra, regional deputy director (Kolhan) H. S Barwar and East Singhbhum civil surgeon K. C Munda had recently inspected the hospital.
The secretary also said that the doctors did their job. However, facilities and infrastructure will be improved.
Tripathi also inspected 100-bed state-owned Sadar Hospital in Khasmahal. He said that manpower will be improved at Sadar Hospital too. He said that the department will come up with a semi new born care unit at the hospital. The unit is expected to start functioning by October.
The Sadar hospital has been constructed at a cost of Rs 4.72 crore. The construction work had started in the year 2008. The hospital has a capacity of 100 beds.
The hospital spread over has departments like pathology, gynaecology, paediatrics, medicine, opthalmology, ENT, surgery and orthopaedics. But, due to lack of doctors and paramedical staff the orthopaedics and opthalmology units are lying defunct. Incidentally, the health department allocates funds on different heads separately to hospitals and hospital management societies.
Meanwhile, the three-day dharna by the Congress in protest against the death of infants was concluded today. The party demanded a judicial enquiry into the kids’ deaths and filed a police complaint against Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and others. Senior leader SRA Rizwi Chabban also met health secretary and demanded a high-level probe.