Attributing the success of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICSR) in providing quality services to dedicated team-building efforts and decentralisation of power, C.N Manjunath, cardiologist and director of the institute, on Saturday stressed the need for taking a similar approach in the public health system.
“The quality of services at Jayadeva is on a par with or better than any five-star corporate hospital in the world. We are offering services at affordable rates keeping in mind the poor patients. In the past 10 years, the institute has handled 10 lakh outpatients, 3.5 lakh cath lab procedures, and 2 lakh echocardiograms. It is India’s largest producer of cardiologists. The crowded corridors of the institute speaks volumes about the quality of services offered there. Our motto is treatment first. It is all because of relentless collective effort and efficient leadership, coupled with the autonomy the institute enjoys,” he said. The public health system needs to take a similar approach. Decentralisation of administrative and financial powers avoids delays in work and helps in smooth functioning without interruptions. You can put in place mechanisms to ensure accountability.”
He was addressing a press meet at the office of the Hyderabad-Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Pointing to the uneven distribution of medical professionals in the country, Mr. Manjunath suggested the focus should be on strengthening the existing public healthcare system instead of opening more medical colleges to produce more doctors. “In Karnataka alone, there are 57 medical colleges that together produce 6,000 doctors every year. There is an uneven distribution of doctors, with more medical professionals found in urban areas. Doctors are afraid of going to rural areas because of the wrath they might face if something goes wrong. There should be a mechanism to ensure their safety as well,” he said.
When asked about the expansion of facilities in the State, Mr. Manjunath said there were no plans for opening branches of SJICSR in other parts of Karnataka. “If we open more branches, the mother unit in Bengaluru will collapse, as happened with HMT. Every medical college in the State should come up with its own dedicated cardiac facility, built and managed with its own resources. Jayadeva experts can provide technical assistance and training,” he said.
A 350-bed cardiac facility in Kalaburagi?
Considering the massive demand that the Kalaburagi branch of SJICSR has in the Hyderaba d Karnataka region, Dr. Manjunath said there are plans to upgrade the branch to a 350-bed full-fledged cardiac facility, preferably with its own building, within three years.
“The Kalaburagi branch of SJICSR, which was established in April 2016 at a cost of ₹25 crore in the building of Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, is overcrowded. In the past two years, it has handled 1.15 lakh outpatients, 7,500 cath lab procedures, and 300 open heart surgeries. Considering the huge demand in the backward region, we are planning to establish a full-fledged cardiac facility with a minimum of 350 beds,” he said.
On the space for the proposed project, Mr. Manjunath said an unused plot of around 8 acres available on the premises of District H ealth and Family Welfare office would be ideal for the facility.
“We need at least ₹150 crore for the project, which can be completed in three years. I appeal to the Hyderabad Karnataka Regional Development Board and the HKCCI to generously contribute for the realisation of the project, as the government alone may not be able to provide all the money. We will also explore the possibility of utilising the unused building at ESIC Medical College and Hospital for the purpose till the new building is ready,” he said.
Congress Leader in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge, who addressed the gathering earlier, promised to extend all possible help to provide the land required for the project. “The unused ESIC building may not be available for the purpose for a long time as it was meant for the establishment of a paramedical college. It is, therefore, better to have a separate building,” he said.
