SVRR Govt Hospital to get a facelift

Tirupati: Though late, the SVRR Government General Hospital (SRRGGH) here is going to get a massive facelift soon. According to Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Poonam Malakondaiah, the hospital will be given a facelift at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore and the works will be taken up on priority basis to complete it in two months. Besides, latest equipment costing about Rs 2.50 crore would be provided while the pediatric wing will get two operation theatres exclusively for it and development at a cost of about Rs 1 crore.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, Poonam Malakondaiah said that the State government has decided to develop it as a regional-level hospital covering the Rayalaseema districts based on the existing infrastructure and faculty at the hospital. Accordingly, the Principal Secretary said she made an in-depth study of the hospital which is the biggest and oldest among the 11 government teaching hospitals in the State after holding discussions with HoDs for three days, to identify the requirements for improving the patient care.
She said some of the departments were identified for development as regional-level specialties. This include the ophthalmology as regional eye care centre, psychiatric as centre of excellence including de-addiction centre while other centres to be developed are pediatric and burns wing which was acclaimed by MCI as best with 60 per cent cure rate. A trauma centre will be set up with Centre’s support and the centralised AC which is not functioning in casualty ward would be revived and also be expanded. Other facilities to be improved include ten more dialysis machines and shifting dialysis wing to spacious building, training dental ward staff and adding root canal treatment facility.
In addition, staff will be increased including 15 nurses and 33 paramedical staff in pediatric, 2 quality management officers (infection control) and 4 bio-medical engineers to ensure proper disposal of bio-medical waste in the hospital, she informed. On the other initiatives in the offing, she said District Collector, who is Chairman of the Hospital Development Committee, was asked to remove the unauthorised shops after enquiry and also prevent the shops in the hospital area selling unhealthy food items. Out-Patient (OP) block will be improved with 4 additional counters for issuing OP slips and 4 counters for giving drugs (medicines) and sitting arrangements for the patients. The senior IAS officer was candid enough that her earlier impression that the hospital was much neglected was found totally true after her three-day inspection of the hospital.
Answering a question, she said that the study is not confined to Ruia but only the beginning of the inspection of all the 11 government teaching hospitals in the State. “I thought fit to begin this task from here on two counts, first the hospital is located at the foot of the holy Tirumala hills, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, and secondly it is oldest and biggest hospital with 1,000 beds.” Replying a query, the official said that she knows the pathetic condition of cardiology and cancer wings which are functioning nominally and assured to look into their revival.