By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Professor and Head of Department, Cardiology in NEIGRIHMS Animesh Mishra has said the department is open to inquiry and has already written to authorities to institute one, whether internal or external.
Talking to the media here on Saturday, Mishra asserted that the image of the department has been tarnished and it has become difficult to interact with patients.
The department has been in the eye of a storm since Wednesday when surgeries virtually came to a halt as devices like stents and pacemakers were not available at the pharmacy and a standoff ensued with the institute’s administration. Mishra said that accusations have been hurled against the department, but the authenticity of the information given to the media is questionable.
“In NEIGRIHMS, till yesterday, not a single stent was made available at the AMRIT Pharmacy and in the hospital pharmacy. In entire Meghalaya, there is only one source for procurement of stents which is outside the hospital. Stents are available only with private vendors,” he said.
Responding to accusations on the prices of stents, he pointed to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
He maintained that the vendor is following the guidelines laid by the NPPA which broadly say that the price should not exceed Rs 30,000.
He said that the doctors become aware of the prices only when the patients buy the device and bring it to the department.
“Since we are signing the reimbursement papers, we have full confidence that not a single patient has been operated violating the NPPA guidelines,” he said.
He claimed that there has been no violation of the guidelines as far as the department of Cardiology is concerned. “There has been no lapse on the part of the department,” he said.
On the confiscation of stents bought from Sanjo Medical by the NEIGRIHMS director, DM Thappa, on April 30, Mishra said as per the NPPA guidelines when any supply of stents has to be stopped, it has to be intimated six months ahead.
Stating that patients are not supposed to suffer
due to the shortage of stents, he said there has
to be a mechanism to provide these from other sources.
Plea for onsite inventory
According to Mishra, there is a need for onsite inventory in the department and said that it has made several requests to the institute to provide inventory.
Faced with the present situation of the unavailability of devices, the department is not carrying out surgeries although the doctors are attending the OPD, IPD, emergency patients, ICCU, Wards and ECHO lab.
When asked, he said not less than 30 patients are affected and the doctors cannot go ahead with operations due to the unavailability of the devices.
Patients suffer
Jasper Pyrtuh, a resident of Moolang from East Jaintia Hills whose 76- year-old grandmother needs a stent is still confined in the ICCU. Another patient Rinku Roy from Silchar said his 38-year-old brother requires a pacemaker.