Merge managements of 3 hospitals: CPM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20

Fearing that the lack of adequate medical staff, space and other arrangements could push Covid-19 out of control in the state, the CPM has urged the government to merge the managements of the IGMC, the DDU and the Kamla Nehru Hospital.

“A joint action committee should be set up for the three hospitals to plan and take decisions. The committee should decide that which patient needs to go to which hospital and not the administration,” the CPM stated in a comprehensive plan on coping with the pandemic, which it submitted to the Chief Minister.

Highlighting the lack of adequate space to treat the patients, the party said the new OPD building of the IGMC should be prepared on a war footing and reserved for Covid patients. They also demanded to make Indus Hospital functional as Covid centre and the state government should demand special financial assistance from the Centre for it. The other suggestion was to issue a notification to all hospitals authorised for medical reimbursement to reserve at least 10 beds for Covid patients. “Military Hospital (Walker Hospital) should be prepared,” the CPM said.

To make the optimum use of the available human resource, the party suggested that the staff of the IGMC, the DDU and Kamla Nehru Hospital should be pooled and deployed as per the requirement. “The vacant posts in every category should be filled immediately and the posts of senior doctor should be filled by promotion,” the party suggested.

More suggestions

• The general OPD on the old campus of the DDU should be resumed
• Covid-negative patients having comorbidity and requiring tertiary services should be examined at the IGMC
• Make e-Sanjeevani portal functional at zonal, district and civil hospitals
• Use NIC, computer teachers and trained technical staff of other departments to impart training in e-Sanjeevani portal to the hospital staff
• Deploy mental health specialists and counsellors in isolation, quarantine and Covid care centres
• Provide nutritious food and hot water to the staff and patients in Covid care centres