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The report published in The Telegraph on February 4
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Stung by criticism, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) has decided on a double do to nurse its ailing trauma centre back to health.
A 24x7 computer interface between doctors and patients with technical guidance from AIIMS, and a colour code to indicate critical cases are the two remedies that emerged during a governing body meeting at the state-run hospital on Monday.
In a report published in The Telegraph on Saturday, kin of patients had exposed poor management at the trauma centre that did not have a round-the-clock doctor on duty, while overburdened nurses made relatives run errands for them.
A senior doctor — who attended the day’s meeting with state health minister Hemlal Murmu, his secretary K. Vidyasagar, RIMS director Tulsi Mahto and AIIMS director R.C. Deka, also a governing body member — said computerisation of the trauma centre would allow continuous monitoring of patients without a doctor’s physical presence.
“We will connect the trauma centre with the central server so that doctors are able to monitor vital reports even when not in office. Besides, we will mark the cells red, orange and green based on the critical nature of patients. Each colour zone will have adequate number of beds and dedicated staff,” he said.
The senior doctor maintained that the RIMS director informed the governing body of the trauma centre’s urgent needs based on which the two decisions were taken.
“Though it isn’t possible to completely set up a full-fledged trauma centre at RIMS owing to manpower crunch and other problems, we have decided to streamline our existing centre. We will begin work soon,” he added.
The RIMS governing body has also given its go-ahead for regularisation of as many as 374 nurses currently employed on contractual basis.
Minister Murmu said the proposal would now be sent to the finance department for comment before the government took concrete action.
In another major move, an inquiry committee has been constituted under the health secretary to review the appointment of third and fourth grade employees (contractual) at RIMS during the tenure of former director N.N. Agarwal.
“There may be discrepancies in appointments as many were recruited directly and not through the standard procedure. Therefore, the board has decided to verify the credentials and other aspects of third and fourth grade employees before going ahead with their regularisation,” a senior official at RIMS said, requesting anonymity.
As many as 22 items were included in the Monday meeting’s agenda. But no decision was taken on salary hike of doctors and in connection with outsourcing of the kitchen. “The RIMS kitchen has 40 full-time employees. So, the health minister asked the director to furnish a report on how to accommodate them before taking a decision,” the official said.
Director Mahto was not available for comments.
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