Central ICU for MKCG Medical College at Berhampur

A central intensive care unit (ICU) will be set up in MKCG Hospital in Berhampur which was announced by the health minister Prasanna Acharya in the recently concluded Assembly Session in December. Responding to MLAs' concern over lack of critical care facilities in state-run hospitals, the minister said the government will also upgrade the ICU at Capital Hospital in city. Raising the issue of poor critical care facilities, some lawmakers had pointed out that even the medical colleges lacked ICUs. The members also said that ventilators and other life saving equipment were lying defunct in government hospitals. The minister said since ICU in private sector is far costlier compared to the government facilities, people were dependent more on the government facilities. Keeping this in mind, the government is trying to create more ICUs, he added.

MKCG ailing on many fronts

It is the premier medical in south Odisha. People of 10 districts depend on this as their referral hospital. One of the oldest and well-known in the State, the Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital (MKCG) itself is gasping for breath.

Forget about treatment, the institution which produces doctors has not enough teaching staff and looks for periodic deputations. This has defeated the very mission of institution to cater to the needs of patients in rural areas.

MKCG-MCH, it is said, has not yet been able to meet the criteria fixed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) that includes new rooms and faculties.

Sources said, every year during the MCI team visit, some window-dressing is done. The Health Directorate has initiated some construction work and also ensures presence of doctors on deputation during the visit. Once the visit is over, everything is back to square one. Many important machines and equipment have been kept unused for months together. Some machines gather dust just because there are no adequate staff.

Teaching in the college has remained anything but encouraging. MKCG has 33 departments __ 11 super speciality departments with sanctioned 36 professor, 75 Associate Professor, 111 Assistant Professor and 117 tutor posts. According to official records, the vacancy list includes 10 professor, 24 Associate Professor, 50 Assistant Professor and 61 Tutor posts.

Even two of the super speciality departments like Nephrology, CT and Surgery have contractual faculties. The irony is that Prof Sonamali Bag wears many hats. He is the dean and principal, hospital superintendent as well as head of the Nephrology Department.

The Health Directorate turned a blind eye on the vacancies __ a must for treatment and medical education __ but it has created new posts for the hospital.

Earlier, the hospital was managed by the superintendent with an administrative officer, finance officer and nodal officer. Now, while the superintendent charge has been entrusted to the principal, it does not have an administrative officer. Only recently, two persons were appointed as senior hospital administrator and hospital manager.

Sources: Times of India, IBN Live