Nagpur: In the backdrop of patients’ deaths at government hospitals in several places in the state, Nagpur District Collector Vipin Itankar said on Thursday that the number of daily deaths in the media was “exaggerated and creating unnecessary panic amongst the poor who come to government medical colleges for treatment”.
Itankar, a student of IGGMCH (Mayo), addressed a press conference with Nagpur GMCH Dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye.
Itankar and Gajbhiye provided updates on the healthcare situation in Nagpur and emphasized on the availability of medicines and facilities in government hospitals — GMCH, IGGMCH and the Super Specialty Hospital (SSH).
Itankar said, “Tertiary care hospitals like GMCH often handle complex and high-risk cases, including critical trauma, road accident victims and patients referred from other healthcare facilities. The deaths reported in the last two days or so, are not happening due to shortage of medicines or poor facilities.”
The District Collector also said that GMCH, IGGMCH and SSH have together received Rs 34 crore from the District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) to bolster medicine purchases. “Rs 13 crore each for GMCH and SSH and Rs 8 crore for Mayo Hospital will ensure that the stock of essential medicines will be full for the next one year,” said Itankar.
Last year, GMCH had received Rs 4.67 crore for medicines while SSH was allocated Rs 6 crore. “This year, the allocation for both establishments has more than doubled, with GMCH receiving Rs 13 crore and the Super Specialty Hospital securing an equal amount, resulting in a total sanction of Rs 26 crore.”
On manpower shortage, Itankar said the State Government would initiate a mega recruitment drive within the next two months to hire Class III and Class IV employees.
Some patients admitted in Government hospitals are serious. As a result, an average of eight patients die in a day. This is the average number of deaths per thousand patients admitted daily, said the District Collector, assuring that the Government was committed to quality patient care and citizens should not believe any rumours.
Dr Itankar said that the medical system of Nagpur was ready for the poor and needy patients. “Nagpur is an important treatment centre for patients in Central India and everyone should take care that the poor will not be deprived of medical care. Media should provide factual information. Trust among the patients regarding Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Personal College (IGGMCH) should be shown. Only the patients who were in critical condition died. These medical colleges have sufficient stock of medicine for the next three months and have good facilities. Whatever shortage of manpower is there, will be filled in the next two months through the recruitment process of class-3 and 4 employees,” assured Dr Vipin Itankar.
Dr Itankar said, “On Wednesday a total of 12 patients died in GMCH. All these patients were in a critical condition. 11 of these patients had to be admitted to the ICU. One was admitted to the general ward. The average number of patients admitted to GMC daily is 1,000 and most of the patients are seriously ill or injured in accidents. An average of eight to ten emergency patients die every day.”
The process of recruiting 233 nurses is in the final stage and in the next two months, 511 vacant posts of class-4 along with class-3 will be filled. Rs 13 crore each to GMCH and Super Specialty Hospital and Rs 8 crore to IGGMCH have been sanctioned by the District Planning Committee, said the District Collector.
