Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 28: The Government has finally given its nod to shifting of six major Departments of the Government Medical College (GMC) to Super Specialty Hospital (SSH), which is being commissioned with the onset of New Year in 2013.
Six Departments, which would be shifted to the SSH at Resham Ghar, close to the GMC Jammu, included Cardiology, Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVA), Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Nephrology and Nephro Surgery, official sources told the Excelsior.
“The faculty and staff for six super specialties has been arranged to some extent while more recruitment was in the process. Four state-of-the-art modular Operation Theatres (OTs), which were to be installed by the experts from New Delhi, have almost completed their job and trials of the OTs were being conducted. Hopefully, every thing would be ready in the month of January’’, Commissioner/ Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department MK Dwivedi said.
“Any time now onwards’’, Mr Dwivedi quipped on being asked about exact date of shifting of six super specialties from GMC Jammu to SSH Resham Ghar.
Sources said a decision on inauguration of the SSH depends upon the political leadership. The inauguration can be done anytime followed by shifting of the specialties. However, the Government could also inaugurate the new hospital after shifting of the Departments, they added and said “it all depended upon the Government’’.
Sources admitted that some works would have to continue in the hospital for sometime. Few problems would crop up and they have to be sorted out as six new super specialties have to be shifted in the new complex, they said, adding that final touches were being given to modular theatres, engagement of faculty and staff and hiring manpower for security and sanitation facilities.
According to sources, experts have reached from New Delhi, who were continuously conducting trials runs on the OTs and training the staff. The trials were successful but they would have to be conducted till the new hospital was made fully functional. M/s Hindustan Latics Limited, a Government of India owned Public Sector Undertaking, has installed the modular operation theatres.
As far as recruitment of faculty and para-medical staff to run the new hospital was concerned, sources said, majority of the exercise has been completed. However, they added, it was a continuous process and more staff would be recruited after commissioning of the hospital.
It may be mentioned that the SSH has missed deadlines after deadlines for commissioning due to delay in installation of modular OTs, recruitment of faculty and other staff etc. The Centre and the State Governments have incurred Rs 135 crore on the SSH so far.
The last time deadline for commissioning of the SSH Udhampur had been revised to December 2012. Sources said the deadline has almost been met as it was the matter of few days only when the hospital would be commissioned.
Initially, Atal Behari Vajpayee led NDA Government had announced the construction of a hospital on the pattern of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jammu and other States at the fag end of its term in February 2004. A high-powered committee of Super Specialists from different parts of the country was constituted to select the site for the AIIMS like hospital.
Later, the Government was told that only upgradation of the GMC Jammu at a cost of Rs 120 crores (with Rs 20 crore share from the State) had been sanctioned and not a new hospital. The site identified at Narwal was, thus, rendered irrelevant as it fell beyond five kilometers from the present GMC Jammu. As per the guidelines, a wing of the Medical College can’t be located at a distance beyond five kilometers. A proposal to convert CD Hospital for housing Super Specialties was also shelved.
Later, the Government purchased land from Sericulture Department at Resham Ghar and started the work on the Super Specialty hospital.
According to sources, the shifting of six super specialties from the GMC Jammu to newly constructed complex would lower the burden on the GMC giving some sigh of relief to the patients. Presently, in some Wards, the patients had to suffer due to overcrowding in the hospital.
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