A demand to confer powers to admit patients in hospitals, like any other doctor, was made by anaesthesiologists on Friday.
The issue was raised by the national president of Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists (ISA), S.S.C. Chakra Rao, at the inaugural session of the 62nd annual conference here.
“Like other consultant doctors, anaesthesiologists too should have powers to admit patients in a hospital. It is we who manage the patients after admission by doctors of different specialities. We are also fully capable of assessing the need for admission in cases of trauma, pain and surgical problem. Then why can’t we admit the patients ourselves,” he asked.
Making a strong pitch for powers of anaesthesiologists on a par with other doctors, Dr. Rao said that already an anaesthesiologist was admitting patients in pain clinics and the same could be done for either ICU admission or in-patient admission.
“Let us bring about a revolution starting from government hospitals. If we try hard enough, I am certain, we shall succeed. After all, we are consultants and got trained for three years like anybody,” he said, delivering the presidential address.
His observations came in the presence of Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, who inaugurated the conference, and Director of Medical Education S. Geethalakshmi, who released the conference CD.
Stating that shortage of anaesthesiologists in the country needed to be addressed soon, Dr. Rao said that anaesthesia should be introduced to doctors at MBBS level so that they developed interest and chose to become anaesthesiologists.
“It is our long-pending demand to the Medical Council of India to make anaesthesia an independent subject in MBBS curriculum. Two-year diploma courses can be started in hospitals. This will solve the shortage of anaesthesiologists,” he suggested.
Another demand put forth by him to the Central government was that the ISA should be authorised to inspect all operation theatres and intensive care units and certify them, like the MCI which inspected medical colleges.
“The ISA will launch training courses soon at a low fee. Shortly, American doctors will visit Guntur in Andhra Pradesh to discuss nationwide training programmes,” Dr. Rao noted.
ISA national secretary M.V. Bhimeswar, Government Rajaji Hospital Dean B. Santhakumar, organising chairman R. Shanmugam and organising secretary S.C. Ganesh Prabu were among those present.
The national conference from December 25 to 29 is being organised by the ISA Madurai City Branch and is attended by anaesthesiologists from across the country.