Jamshedpur: MGM Hospital faces myriad challenges, ICU defunct: Probe team

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Feb 11: Even as state health authorities continue to make tall claims on healthcare facilities in Jharkhand, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital is facing difficult times. The situation here speaks otherwise. There are numerous challenges before the hospital. Almost each ward of the hospital is working with many constraints. The condition of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is the worst. From first look, the ICU appears to be a scrap yard. This was observed by a seven member team of doctors from Arogyam Hospital, New Delhi, after an inspection of the government hospital.

According to the team, �Besides patients, defunct medical equipments are kept here. Absence of central oxygen supply pipeline and dysfunctional ventilators have made the situation dismal.�

The team included Dr N Sharan, Dr Ranjana Sharan, Dr Jaya, Dr Ratan Chakravarty and Dr Paras Nath Mishra. It was sent on the initiative taken by the state health minister Banna Gupta.

The team visited various wards of the hospital and inquired about the healthcare facilities available to patients.  

Arogyam team to give report to health minister

The seven member team of Arogyam will be submitting its inspection report to state health minister Banna Gupta and making its recommendations to improve the existing healthcare facilities at the government hospital. Based on the report, measures would be taken to bring about necessary changes, sources said.

Health minister had asked the team to visit MGM Hospital and review the healthcare facilities available here.

Hospital staff call off strike on minister�s assurance

The strike proposed by the employees of MGM Hospital was called off here on Tuesday following an assurance given by the state health minister Banna Gupta.

Sources said Gupta had assured to take necessary measures to resolve various issues pertaining to provident fund, bonus and other service benefits raised by the hospital employees. Yesterday, the cleaning staff of the hospital had gheraoed the chamber of hospital superintendent. They had threatened a massive stir demanding fulfillment of their demands without delay.

Ravi Namta, secretary of Safai Karmachari Sangh, said every month the workers have to agitate to get their salary arrears.

Employees not getting electricity bills in time

Members of health workers� association of MGM Hospital convened a meeting on the hospital premises on Tuesday to discuss their various problems. They said the hospital employees were not getting electricity bill every month. As a result, the bill amount goes up considerably, making it difficult for the workers to pay it conveniently, said Johnny Mukhi, one of the outfit members.

The employees unanimously decided to meet the hospital superintendent tomorrow and hand him a memorandum of their demands. They alleged that the quarter allotted to nurses were encroached by unauthorized occupants.