Hyderabad: The deaths of three infants at the RIMS have raised questions over the inaction by the health department after a committee was formed a year ago to inspect government medical colleges and hospitals.
The committee, with doctors and an additional director-rank officer, was asked to inspect the state-run institutions and the health secretary was also assigned a college. The teams were asked to check fire safety, mechanical issues, infrastructure and equipment, including their expiry dates. They were also asked to interact with students at the colleges to understand the issues.
Sources told Deccan Chronicle that some minor issues identified during the inspections had been brought to the notice of Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha. A report on Gandhi Hospital, for instance, had also pointed to several leakages.
Tuesday’s tragedy has now prompted the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) and Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) to demand an immediate review of electrical and fire-safety systems.
T-JUDA called for safe and adequate electrical infrastructure, regular safety audits, functional SNCU/NICU and neonatal critical-care facilities, adequate fire-safety systems and emergency exits, backup power, sufficient bed capacity and adequate doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel. The association also sought regular inspection and maintenance of electrical, fire-safety and medical equipment, along with disaster preparedness and emergency-response protocols in critical-care areas.
It said delays in releasing Aarogyasri funds to government hospitals were affecting the maintenance of medical and biomedical equipment, electrical systems, fire-safety measures and procurement of emergency-use materials. It urged the government to immediately release pending Aarogyasri funds and provide adequate funding for maintenance of equipment in SNCUs, NICUs, ICUs and operation theatres.
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