VISAKHAPATNAM: Ever since the foundation stone for the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) was laid by the then Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the institute has been mired in one controversy or the other.
The recent appointment of a full-time director C.V. Rao in the place of Officer on Special Duty P.V. Sudhakar is also being viewed sceptically by many.
Recently, the State government has invited bids to engage the services of consultancy firms for the hospital and has stirred a hornet’s nest and the people have developed an opinion that the government is on the move to privatise the hospital.
They feel that it is against the basic spirit of formation of VIMS, which has been proposed on the lines of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad to cater to the multi-speciality medical needs of the poor patients of north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Clearing the air on the controversy, Dr. C.V. Rao has told The Hindu that the bids have been invited for consultancy, so that the eligible consultants can give suggestions to the government on how to start and develop the super-speciality units such as neurosurgery, neurology, endocrinology, plastic surgery and a separate ward for the treatment of cancer. “Inviting suggestions does not mean that we are going to give the units to the private operators. The speciality departments will be operated by VIMS and will cater to the poor in the true spirit. We have only asked for a DPR from the consultancy firms.”
Dr. Rao earlier served as Deputy Superintendent of King George Hospital and Principal of Andhra Medical College apart from working in a number of hospitals such as Safdargung Hospital in New Delhi, Guntur Medical College, Kurnool Medical College and Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada. He was appointed as Director of VIMS on Friday.
On the initial proposal of VIMS being a 1300-beded hospital, he has pointed out that it is far from reality as on date.
The main goal at present is to get 50 beds and the trauma care operational 24/7.
“We have 25 specialist doctors and 32 nursing staff as on date. We need about 10 paramedic staff to be outsourced and a 24-hour pharmacy service and get the NTR Vaidya Seva operational immediately. About three operation theatres are ready and we need to get the 50 beds operational immediately,” he says.
Dr. Rao has also pointed out that a proposal is being worked out to link with the KGH Blood Bank or Indian Red Cross for the supply of blood.
“It depends on the government’s final nod and once these things are in place we will operate 50 beds and the trauma centre and that is our priority.”
At VIMS there are about 400 beds ready to be occupied but the hospital has been running with 16 to 20 beds at present.
Roadmap
Giving a roadmap the new director has opined, “Once the 50-bed trauma care centre starts functioning we intend to start a women and child care centre. It is very difficult for the people from Madhurwada and neighbouring areas to go to Government Victoria Hospital for Women and Children in the old town area. We can start another 50 beds catering to this segment by appointing about 10 gynaecologists and paediatricians, then we can not only have one more 50-bed ward operational but also reduce the load on Victoria hospital and KGH. We are working on the proposal.”
Dr. Rao has also said that a proposal is being prepared to make VIMS autonomous on the lines of NIMS and SVIMS.
