The Hindu: Madurai: Sunday, 23 February 2025.
Even after seven months of
the inauguration of the six-storied tower block building constructed on
Government Rajaji Hospital premises under funding of Japanese International
Co-operation Agency, the hospital is yet to get its sanctioned posts of doctors,
nurses, technicians and medical staff, among others, reveals a Right to
Information Act reply.
According to the RTI procured by A. Veronica Mary, a health activist based in Madurai, the building, which was built with a fund of ₹313 crore, was planned to have a total of 779 staff.
Despite earmarking a staff requirement of 779, the hospital in its reply has noted that it had not allotted any human resources specifically for JICA building, but it was being managed by the human resources already available in GRH.
The reply further said: “The JICA tower block building has planned to include the following departments, operation theatres and medical facilities – entrance lobby, cardio emergency department, imaging centre, radiology department, MRI scan, ECG, ECHO wards, Outpatient department, waiting hall and services, ICU, Post Anaesthesia Care Unit, Post Operative Care Unit, operation theatres [22] and one hybrid operation theatre.”
It added that the JICA building possessed the facilities for cardiology OP, radiology OP, cath lab, cardiology ward, cardiovascular thoracic surgery, general ward and the associated equipment and operation theatres.
“While 16 operation theatres are put to public use, the remaining seven operation theatres, due to technical issues in maintaining optimum temperature/ humidity in hybrid operation theatre, is not brought to use,” the reply added.
The staff that were to be recruited included 10 doctors, 426 staff nurse (contract), two physio gr-II (contract), 125 outsourced housekeeping workers, six supervisors and 45 securities, among others.
Ms. Mary said though the JICA building which was built to provide high care treatment to the public, due to lack of human resources, the desired result was yet to be attained.
“When the hospital says they use the human resources from GRH, what will they do to manage patients and other works at GRH,” she questioned.
Even when the original plan was to provide quality treatment at both the hospitals, the lethargic attitude of the Directorate of Medical Education in not appointing the staff distorted the very purpose, she alleged.
A senior doctor at GRH said that the delay in recruitment was observed due to the large number of requirements. “Even when it is a large number, considering the facilities and size of the buildings, 780 staff is essential to run the hospital efficiently.”
As they had written to the DME citing the requirements to be filled immediately, they presumed it would be fulfilled at the earliest, he added.
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| Of the 23 operation theatres in JICA building only 16 are operational.| Photo Credit: File Photo |
According to the RTI procured by A. Veronica Mary, a health activist based in Madurai, the building, which was built with a fund of ₹313 crore, was planned to have a total of 779 staff.
Despite earmarking a staff requirement of 779, the hospital in its reply has noted that it had not allotted any human resources specifically for JICA building, but it was being managed by the human resources already available in GRH.
The reply further said: “The JICA tower block building has planned to include the following departments, operation theatres and medical facilities – entrance lobby, cardio emergency department, imaging centre, radiology department, MRI scan, ECG, ECHO wards, Outpatient department, waiting hall and services, ICU, Post Anaesthesia Care Unit, Post Operative Care Unit, operation theatres [22] and one hybrid operation theatre.”
It added that the JICA building possessed the facilities for cardiology OP, radiology OP, cath lab, cardiology ward, cardiovascular thoracic surgery, general ward and the associated equipment and operation theatres.
“While 16 operation theatres are put to public use, the remaining seven operation theatres, due to technical issues in maintaining optimum temperature/ humidity in hybrid operation theatre, is not brought to use,” the reply added.
The staff that were to be recruited included 10 doctors, 426 staff nurse (contract), two physio gr-II (contract), 125 outsourced housekeeping workers, six supervisors and 45 securities, among others.
Ms. Mary said though the JICA building which was built to provide high care treatment to the public, due to lack of human resources, the desired result was yet to be attained.
“When the hospital says they use the human resources from GRH, what will they do to manage patients and other works at GRH,” she questioned.
Even when the original plan was to provide quality treatment at both the hospitals, the lethargic attitude of the Directorate of Medical Education in not appointing the staff distorted the very purpose, she alleged.
A senior doctor at GRH said that the delay in recruitment was observed due to the large number of requirements. “Even when it is a large number, considering the facilities and size of the buildings, 780 staff is essential to run the hospital efficiently.”
As they had written to the DME citing the requirements to be filled immediately, they presumed it would be fulfilled at the earliest, he added.
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