The Director of Medical Education, V. Geetha, who visited the Ernakulam Medical College to take a first-hand look at the ground situation , has promised to expedite the process of improving patient care facilities.
Though the DME did not visit any of the wards in the medical college hospital, she received representations from the staff. Dr. Geetha told The Hindu that they had called for better facilities and clearing the apprehension regarding integration of the college fully under the Directorate of Medical Education.
She said the non-availability of full-range of medicines was a reality in all government colleges, but a retail outlet that would sell medicines at discounted rates would be opened soon. It would take care of drugs not available in the supplies coming in from the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited. She said the Hospital Development Society would take decisions on retail outlet and a canteen facility.
Dr. Geetha had a meeting with the Special Officer for the Government takeover, Junaid Rahman, Medical Superintendent K.G.R. Mallan, Resident Medical Officer Bibn Jeevan and Principal in-charge Mercy Idiculla to gauge the immediate needs of the college.
The medical college Teachers’ Association members, nurses and the paramedics too met the DME.
There have been allegations regarding non-availability of even emergency medicines and the first line of antibiotics in the stock. But medical superintendent Dr. Mallan and the Teachers’ Association president Dr. Jacob Baby said the emergency medicines were low on supply but had not been used up. There have also been allegations that there were needles but no syringes and also that there were sutures and no needles, no x-ray films etc. Sources pointed out that quite a few of the supplies were made available from the General Hospital .
Dr. Rahman said the retail outlet run by the previous college management CAPE that has a stock of Rs. 70 lakh worth medicines was closed down because of public pressure. It was only a stop-gap arrangement till the HDS set up a retail outlet, he said.
