Education, Careers & Professional News
Making doctors without basic facilities
Source
Deccan Herald
Date
2005-07-04
Information
This is the second part of the exclusive report on why the MCI rejected the proposals of the new government medical colleges.
Confidential Medical Council of India documents show a pathetic lack of even basic facilities in more medical colleges in the State.
Deccan Herald had reported on Saturday the reasons cited by the Medical Council of India recently while turning down the proposals of five new government medical colleges in Karnataka citing inadequate infrastructure as the main reason.
Hassan Medical College
The MCI conducted inspections on June 8 and 9 to find 83.05 per cent shortage in teaching staff and an 84.2 per cent shortage in the number of resident doctors. There is also inadequacy of paramedical and nursing staff. Dr H G Devamani, designated as Medical Superintendent, is not qualified to hold the post as she does not possess a postgraduate degree and the 10 years of administrative experience as required under the regulations.
Hostels, common rooms, staff quarters, lecture theatres, central library and central workshop are missing. ICUS are yet to become operational. There are no departments for anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and community medicine. Only 10 beds are available in the casualty area. There is no central oxygen supply and no oxygen suction and incinerator either. Radiological protective measures as per the norms of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai have not been followed. Nursing stations are located outside the wards while duty rooms for doctors and nurses, dressing rooms, procedure room, side laboratory and teaching areas are not available. Registration counters and record sections are not computerised.
Mandya College
The inspections were carried out on June 10 and 11. The inspectors found that there is a teaching staff shortage of 89.83 per cent whereas there is an 89.47 per cent shortage in the number of resident doctors.
Dr Vishwanath Kumar, designated as the medical superintendent, is not qualified for the job as he does not possess a postgraduate degree and has only three years of administrative service.
Accommodation is available for only 60 students against a requirement of 100. The Boys hostel is located in the DHO complex across the road which is not as per the norms. Accommodation is available for only 20 nurses.
Common rooms, residents hostel, and para-clinical departments are not available. There are only two flat-type lecture theatres without any audio-visual aid. Departments of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology and community medicine are yet to be established.
The operation theatres do not have central oxygen and nitrous oxide supply and also no central suction.
There is no ICCU and records are maintained manually. Wards are not provided with doctors and nurses duty rooms. Separate ICUs for surgeries, burns, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology are not available.
Either they have to apply afresh to the Central government in 2006 or they can approach the Centre for revival of the scheme after correcting the deficiencies. If the Union Health Ministry agrees for revival of the scheme, then MCI will carry out another round of inspection to see if the facilities are in place.
In both cases, any chance of admitting students in 2005 is out of the question as MCI sources said that it’s not humanly possible to rectify all the deficiencies in such a short period of time.