Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, June 21: Super Specialty Hospital Jammu is unlikely to become fully operational soon even as Indoor services by a few departments are likely to be started by first week of next month.
According to the reliable sources in Medical Education Department, delay in getting some advanced equipments for operation purpose and ventilators, non availability of required para-medical staff and funds are major hurdles in making the Super Specialty Hospital fully operational.
While the advanced equipments worth crores of rupees for Neurosurgery have to be procured by the Government of India, the arrangement of ventilators and para-medical staff is the responsibility of the State Government, sources said.
Though orders have been placed for the ventilators and the Neurosurgery equipments while the process for engaging required para-medical staff is already on, the Super-Specialty has to wait for more time to become fully operational and get formally inaugurated by some VVIP, sources further said.
By the time, sources added, Indoor services in Cardiology, Cardio Thoracic, Nephrology and Urology are likely to be started in phased manner within days, probably in first week of next month.
When contacted, the Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din informed that everything was ready and Indoor services in the Super Specialty are likely to be started within two weeks. “Even as some advanced equipments for Neurosurgery are in the process of reaching here, we are ready to start the Indoor service of other departments, which are fully equipped to handle the cases,” he said adding that around ten ventilators were presently available with the hospital while order for more has already been placed.
However, at the same time, he made it clear that it would take some time to make the hospital fully functional for its formal inauguration, most probably by UPA Chairperson and AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
Pertinent to mention that the Super Specialty Hospital Jammu, taken under the Prime Ministers Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) at the cost of Rs 135 crore, has already missed several deadlines for becoming fully operational. The last deadline was fixed as May 31 but only OPD services were started there in view of some pending works and non-availability of several equipments, Oxygen, Ventilators as well as required para-medical staff. OPD services in Cardiology, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Nephrology and Urology were started in SSH last month.
Meanwhile, the arrangements are being finalized for starting Evening Clinic at Chopra Nursing Home in Government Medical College premises here even as the senior doctors are still in no mood for offering their paid services in this Government run private clinic.
Making the Evening Clinic operational is still high on agenda of the Government and all arrangements in this regard have almost been finalized while roaster of doctors for the duty purpose is hoped to be prepared soon, sources maintained.
However, a senior doctor on the condition of anonymity reiterated the well known stand of Medical Teachers Association of not offering their services for the Evening Clinic.
Follow our WhatsApp channel