A three-member team of the Medical Council of India (MCI) made a surprise visit at the State-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Friday to review the hospital’s infrastructural structure and faculty strength. The team found the hospital to be violating the MCI guidelines big time when it spotted the expecting mothers and women being consulted in the open and not in private rooms at the Gynecology Outdoor Patient Department (OPD).
Dr Suresh Kumar, Dr JS Mallik and Dr Radhe Shyam Trivedi immediately advised the Head of the Department and Associate Professor Dr Jacinta Minz on the spot to make arrangements for private rooms in the hospital at the earliest, even if it meant makeshift arrangements including curtains and wooden planks.
Dr JS Mallik reminded the department and the hospital management that this was a big and clear violation of the body’s guidelines and that no women can be consulted by a gynecologist amidst public gaze in any part of the country.
Dr Minz cited an acute shortage of space at the hospital to be the sole reason behind such violation of the guidelines.
The team arrived straight in the campus and headed towards the Director’s office when the security guard reportedly informed the authorities around 9 am on Friday. Upon the spread of information about the team’s arrival, various activities, arrangements and an ever-growing crowd was spotted in the premises with all staff giving prompt responses unlike any usual day at the RIMS.
The MCI officials carried out the inspection regarding the infrastructure for the entire day in the Outdoor Patient Departments (OPD) of all the departments and came out with recommendations X-Ray and Diagnostic centre and the Surgical Operation Theatre (SOT) besides the Gynecology ward.
The MCI officials were told that all five machines at the X-ray and diagnostic centre were in full working condition and being utilized by the patients here. But, soon Dr Mallik found out that out of the five machines that includes three X-ray, a CT-Scan and an MRI scanner, the CT-scanner and a X-ray machine to be non-functional since long.
Thereafter, Dr Mallik advised the department to ensure their proper and timely maintenance and installation as soon as possible for the benefit of the patients.
Another revelation made by the team’s inspection was the lack of a proper sterilisation unit at the Surgical Operation Theatre, which is a mandate for all hospitals. The department was founf to be relying on the small sterlising units.
Dr Kumar recommended the hospital makes way for a heavy sterilisation unit at the earliest to ensure safe sterilisation process. Dr Trivedi suggested the Emergency ward to procure a Mobile X-Ray machine to ensure smooth checkups and control the heavy rush and chaos.
Director of RIMS, Dr Bl Sherwal maintained that the inspection went down quite well on Friday and would continue on Saturday as well before the final report would be released. “We are prepared for such surprise visits and the inspection would continue tomorrow as well at all the departments. We cannot divulge any details about the recommendations or anything as of now,” said Dr Sherwal.