48 of 79 life-support systems lie defunct at GMCH

AURANGABAD: Patients visiting the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) are having a tough time as 48 of the 79 life-support system (ventilators) installed on the hospital premises are found to be lying defunct for the past several days.

Authorities confirmed that in some cases the ventilators are lying defunct for over three months as the annual maintenance contractor has refused to repair the machines owing to outstanding bills.

The hospital, which has a budget running in to several crores, is unable to get 14 of these ventilators repaired for want of money. A medical officer informed that as on date, 11 ventilators are lying defunct for want of Rs 1.50 lakh.

As per the figures obtained from the office of the superintendent of GMCH, MICU has 30 ventilators of which only 16 are functional, while the trauma centre has eight life support systems of which only one is functional.

The PICU has 10 ventilators of which only two are functional, while at NICU 6 out of 10 life support system are functional. Only the paediatric department has all its four ventilators working. To top it all, 15 ventilators are said to be contaminated to the extent of being scrapped.

When contacted medical superintendent Bharat Sonawne could not be reached for his comment, while GMCH dean Kanan Yelikar refused to comment.

The NGOs working in the health sector have alleged that the GMCH as on date does not even have a stock of anti-biotics and other important medicines, forcing poor patients to purchase them from outside.

“The suffering of poor patients and their kin does not end with the lack of medicines at the GMCH. The patients are being forced to purchase syringes from the private pharmacy stores situated outside the GMCH,” Masiuddin Siddiqui of Global Medical Foundation said.

A medical officer, on conditions of anonymity, said, “The GMCH has been taking follow-up with the state and appropriate authorities to provide funds as well as essential drugs including anti-biotics, but nothing has happened so far. Also, there are reports that the GMCH does not even have films for taking X-rays, making things difficult for the patients.”