Speak of government hospitals and the picture that first comes to mind is that of unfriendly staff, dirty environs, broken furniture and corruption. But here is a State-run hospital where the facilities are not only being emulated by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) but has also got a pat on the back from no less than U.S. President Barack Obama.
Situated on the Outer Ring Road, the 600-bed Sri Jayadeva Institute Of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research is a landmark near Tilaknagar. This government-owned autonomous institute offers super-speciality treatment to cardiac patients from all sections of society, irrespective of the cost.
Furnished with modern equipment, the hospital has four cath labs, seven operation theatres, non-invasive laboratories and 24-hour ICU facilities.
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Institute Director C.N. Manjunath says the hospital not only offers affordable treatment but also provides a master health check-up under a single window out-patient department (OPD).
“The lower your BP, blood sugar, cholesterol, body weight and ambitions are, the better it is for your heart,” says Dr. Manjunath while asserting that the incidence of heart disease is increasing in both men and women, in urban as well as rural areas. “The incidence among women has increased considerably in the last decade. This is because of changing lifestyles that lack physical activity. The average age at which people may suffer a heart attack has come down from 45 years to 30 years,” he says.
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“Our master health check-up facility is available in a single window OPD block where all the relevant blood investigations including ECG/ECHO/TMT etc., will be done under one roof. This is done at a subsidised cost of Rs. 2,000 and patients need not run from one block to another,” Dr. Manjunath says. This single window facility not only saves time but is also convenient for the elderly and working people as they need not stay for the entire day for the reports. “The reports are given within two to three hours after the tests are conducted,” Dr. Manjunath says.
Earlier, most of the coronary angiogram and other procedures were done by femoral root i.e., using arteries from the leg or thigh. This required overnight hospital stay. For the last few months, the hospital has been actively conducting Coronary Angiogram Studies through trans-radial approach (upper limb). “Following this test, if there is no significant disease, we discharge the patient on the same day,” he says.
To cater to ESI beneficiaries covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), the hospital has tied up with ESIC Model Hospital in Rajajinagar. This facility has been started from September 2012.
Achievements
While a record 18,000 cath lab procedures were performed in the last one year, as many as 10,000 angiograms, 1,820 mitral valvuloplasties and 3,700 angioplasties were conducted last year.
This is apart from 2,600 bypass and valve replacement surgeries and 1,20,000 echocardiograms. Of the 25,000 in-patients treated at the hospital in 2011, 15,000 were treated at subsidised costs.
While 2,000 poor patients underwent free angioplasties and open heart surgeries through the institute’s resources and charity, a total of 3,303 patients underwent various surgeries through the Government’s Hrudaya Sanjeevani Scheme, Dr. Manjunath added.
Patient satisfaction survey
To ensure patients who visit the hospital are satisfied with the treatment, the hospital regularly gets a patient satisfaction survey done by a third party.
“This will not only help us find out if the patients were satisfied but also help check if they have been taking their medication regularly,” the director adds.