HC summons Secy, DMET in person

CUTTACK: The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP) or Sishu Bhawan is hiring anaesthetists from outside to conduct surgeries.  The Orissa High Court has taken cognisance of the state of affairs in the only Government-run multi-speciality children’s hospital of the State. It has directed  Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Anu Garg and Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Prof. PK Dash to appear in person on April 9 and submit their explanations. A Division Bench of Justices BP Das and I Mohanty expressed shock that the hospital is functioning without any anaesthesia specialist and operations on child patients are being done by hiring specialists from outside. “It is very very serious and amounts to criminal negligence for which criminal proceedings should be initiated against the authorities concerned. The Health Secretary and DMET have to explain why the State’s premier paediatrics health care institute is running without an anaesthesia specialist and why are specialists being hired from outside,” the Bench ruled. The directions came on perusal of the report submitted by the Advocates’ Committee on the functioning of SVPPGIP on the basis of the petition filed by City- based Maitree Sansad. The Court had earlier directed the Committee comprising PR Das, Tarananda Patnaik and PK Pradhan along with Ajoy Mohanty of Maitree Sansad and additional Government advocate JP Patnaik to visit the hospital and submit a report. The Committee, in its report, pointed at the absence of anaesthetists along with other lapses. It stated that the hospital seriously is lacking in emergency facilities and adequate infrastructure to treat critical patients. Though the ICU has 12 beds, only eight ventilators are available. Due to lack of adequate staff, including radiologists, major functions are affected. X-ray and other facilities are not provided round-the-clock due to shortage of radiologists.  It had also brought to the fore the fact that despite being a paediatrics institution, the hospital is being supplied with tablets instead of medicines in syrup form. The Court has directed the Government to take appropriate action on the points made in the report.