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Modern ICU at Gandhi Hospital falls sick
The 65-bed modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which was inaugurated by the Governor E S L Narsimhan on August 10, at Gandhi hospital remain inoperative because of shortage of trained staff.
Hyderabad: The 65-bed modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which was inaugurated by the Governor E S L Narsimhan on August 10, at Gandhi hospital remain inoperative because of shortage of trained staff.
The Gandhi Hospital officials had in fact addressed a letter a month before the opening of the ICU to the Minister of Health and the Special Chief Secretary of Health, requesting them to take steps for appointment of staff. But, not action was so far taken to ensure that additional staff was appointed.
According to sources, a total of 350 patients visit the causality ward every day on an average, but the hospital has only 30 beds in the causality ward and 30 more Acute Medicine Care (AMC) ward. Doctors find it a herculean task to take care of patients with a limited bed strength. The doctors felt elated when the special ICU was opened as they believed that it would solve the problem of shortage of bed. But their hopes were short-lived.
Sources said according to a draft prepared by the committee, headed Prof M K Arora, Department of Anaesthesiology, AIIMS, Delhi, nurse-to-patient ratio when the patient is on ventilator should be one nurse for one patient. When the patient is not on ventilator, nurse-to-patient ratio should be one nurse for two patients. It is also prescribed that a head nurse and an in-charge nurse should also be deployed on every six to twelve beds in each shift. It means that the special ICU requires 10 head nurses, 15 in-charge nurses and 195 staff nurses, apart from 90 paramedical staff and ward boys.
All India Trade Union Congress Hyderabad city unit general secretary M Naraimha demanded that the government appoint additional staff immediately.
Sources said the Gandhi Hospital officials are considering operating the ICU by hiring staff nurses from Seva Bharathi, a non-governmental agency. The doctors, however, wonder how it is possible to operate the ICU with the contract staff.
Dr P Shravan Kumar, Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, told The Hans India that as many as 65 staff nurses from the existing staff would be allotted for ICU. The issue of recruiting nurses is under discussion, he said.
