IIT Hospital Improves?

InsIghT Follows Up

The IITB Hospital has endeavoured to provide the best treatment possible for various ailments that the student community might suffer at any time. But it has been pointed out by the people who have visited the hospital that it lags behind in terms of the infrastructure and staff. Some such problems have been enumerated here, as have been the steps to redressme.co.nz/ball-dresses.html”>dressme.co.nz/ball-dressme.co.nz/ball-dresses.html”>dresses.html”>dressme.co.nz/ball-dresses.html”>dress them.

The hospital is currently under the management of Dr. Y.S. Khobragade, who has been promoted to the post of SMO (Senior Medical Officer), while Dr. Nisha Shah is the CMO (Chief Medical Officer). They will overlook the construction of the new block of the hospital which is underway and should probably be over in a year, after which, a phased renovation of the old (existing) block will be undertaken as it is around 45-50 years old. The dental facilities have been refurbished and upgraded to ensure much better dental care.

The doctors and medical officers were not receiving the benefits of the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme and were receiving lower salaries. The hospital administration pushed for the implementation of the scheme and it went through. The IIT administration is very supportive and sympathetic towards the hospital and fund allocation has never been an issue; availability of man power is the crux of the problem. There has been recruitment at the nurse level, but the hospital administration has pressed for more staff, technicians, nurses, attendants, medical officers basically at all levels. Both short term and long term requirements have been forwarded and Professor Natraj is hopeful in this regard.

In light of some laboratory accidents, the departments/centres have requested the hospital to maintain an emergency response team. The HHA Committee is currently looking into it. Prof Natraj, who is on the committee, also wants a state-of-the-art ambulance, but again, there is apparently a lack of paramedics who can man the same. He also talked about plans for a wireless communication network in the ambulance and the departments to track the current location of an ambulance. Such a system has been tried and tested with Tum Tums and the committee is reviewing the feasibility of a similar system for the ambulance. Plans of First-Aid training camps, mandatory regular medical checkups are also in the offing.

Regarding review of doctors, Professor Natraj did mention that it was quite essential. The reason for the absence of such a provision was that he himself was not aware of the medical technicalities involved and will therefore have to sit with the CMO and decide upon how to go about an audit.

Apart from this, plans to set up an email feedback system with the help of the CC are also afoot. Most importantly, Prof Natraj is willing to have an Open House with the various communities on campus – Students, Faculty, NASA etc. The HHA Committee is the interface between the campus community and the hospital. The student representatives of the institute along with a limited no. of students from each hostel could be called together to give their feedback to the hospital authorities, the committee members and the Dy. Director. ■

For further details contact Ankur Tulsian and Srinath Ranya at ankurtulsian@gmail.com and srinath.r@iitb.ac.in respectively.