The Hindu : Don't work at cross-purposes, doctors told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 24, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Don't work at cross-purposes, doctors told

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL April 23. The Minister for Health, Kodela Sivaprasad, has asked doctors not to allow the differences among themselves to affect the functioning of the institution. The Minister was of the opinion that rivalry among doctors was leading to exaggeration of minor lapses in the hospital.

After inaugurating the acute medical care unit, intensive coronary care unit and the seminar hall on the general hospital campus here on Wednesday, the Minister addressed the gathering and said he was ready to solve all demands of doctors provided they assured him of giving service to the satisfaction of the common public. Private practice by Government doctors was affecting the work in the hospital and the people were losing faith in the system. He wanted the doctors to introspect and change themselves before the public turned against them.

The foundation for the shopping complex on the college and hostel campus could not be laid as medical students demolished the stone tablet, which was to be unveiled by the Minister today. Last night, a group of medical students who were opposed to construction of the shopping complex along the boundary of medical college campus and hostel, vandalised the place. The Minister asked the organisers and the college authorities not to remove the half-destroyed plaque but preserve it as a monument that reflected the intolerance of students. He felt that the students were instigated by groupism among doctors.

On the death of four patients in the acute medical care unit allegedly due to short supply of oxygen, the Minister refused to make a comment stating that an inquiry by an IAS officer was on. Action would be taken based on findings of the inquiry officer, he said adding that nobody would be made scapegoat just for the sake of assuaging the feelings of the public. If no lapses were noticed, the Government would defend the staff, the Minister said.

The Minister who made surprise inspection of the hospital around 7.30 a.m. said he was satisfied with the service offered by the hospital. The occupancy ratio of 110 per cent amply demonstrated that public had faith in the institution. He advised the hospital authorities to improve sanitation and take measures for conserving power to avoid wastage of money.

The Minister was annoyed by the noisy representation of medical students over their demands which include enhancement of PG seats and scrapping of NRI and management quota for PG seats. He asked the medical students not to lose the privilege they enjoyed in society by resorting to street demonstrations. On his appeal, the students withdrew placards and black flags at the public meeting.

Trauma care unit

Later talking to reporters, the Minister announced setting up of a trauma care unit for the Kurnool general hospital at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crores which would be financed by the Centre. He also offered infrastructure costing Rs. 10 crores to the Kurnool general hospital under improvement of teaching hospitals scheme being implemented with Rs. 220 crores in the State. He said the Government was spending Rs.1,570 crores on health services in the State and supplied 145 types of drugs to referral hospitals and 70 types of drugs to PHCs. On the user charges, he said the exercise was intended to collect nominal charges from patients who could afford and provide free service to the poor. If user charges were not collected, the infrastructure would be utilised by the influential and the rich while the poor would be the ultimate sufferers.

The Minor Irrigation Minister, K.E. Prabhakar, the MP, K.E. Krishna Murthy, the MLA, T.G. Venkatesh, the Collector, G. Sai Prasad, the Director of Medical Education, Srinath, and others were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Naxalites loot three houses in famine raid

TDP polls: 9 partymen suspended

A.P.-Karnataka row over water sharing

Mandal-level polls pass off peacefully

`Adolescent girls can act as agents of change'

Don't work at cross-purposes, doctors told

NU to hold national seminar on Jainism

Former KU V-C alleges raw deal to Telangana

DCC padayatras to highlight Govt. `failures'

Minister seeks YSR's help on Paragodu project