Editor,
Institutions unlike human beings are expected to grow more robust with time but this is not true of the Dr H Gordon Robert Hospital, which every member of the Presbyterian congregation is proud about. The hospital itself is in the ICU and is currently gasping for breath. When an aged person begins gasping for air, the end is near. But God forbid, may He never allow a Hospital built in His Name to perish! Write-ups have appeared in the print media from time to time highlighting the progress the Hospital has made after the crisis it suffered last year due to the mass exodus of serving doctors. The facts however are not in the least bit encouraging. It’s been eight months since the collapse ( some may not like this word) but what are the signs that the hospital is limping back to life? In the first place did the Hospital ever enjoy good health? The number of patients attending the Hospital is of no consequence unless they are satisfied with the services rendered and the availability of essential basic facilities. But, of course, good patient attendance would mean a better income which in turn enables the hospital to be self sustaining . The Dr H Gordon Robert Hospital is privately run; patients pay for every service rendered to them. So for the Hospital to be grounded on account of a colossal financial breakdown only means it had been ailing financially for a long time. There are gaping holes that have swallowed up the daily earnings, so unless these holes are identified and measures taken to seal them up tight, the future of the Hospital will always remain shaky
This letter is not about who did what (although to be able to move forward successfully and to avoid falling in the same pit repeatedly it is of utmost importance to identify the weak links in the chain of administration), but seeks to put forth certain pertinent points that are the common talk of all and sundry who feel for the well being of the Hospital.
Just as we cannot use yesterday’s method to run today’s business and still expect to remain in business tomorrow, the hospital was started nearly a century ago and was run by missionaries who were multi-taskers. Those were also the days of generalist doctors but we are now in the 21st century and we have specialties in every sphere of development. If the Hospital is to raise its head again to regain the past glory it enjoyed from the time of its inception till the 60s, the days of Dr Hughes, the KJPA need to do some serious thinking and to face the truth that pastors and church elders can no longer make business decisions that will sustain hospitals, educational institutions, printing presses et al.
The Hospital requires the services of experienced technical persons to guide it. It needs persons with leadership qualities with the ability to set goals for the future, take hard decisions and steer the ship amidst the raging seas of discontentment, greed, jealousies, pride, egoism , self-centeredness and all the problems that beset human nature in any community. On the verge of its centenary, how far has the Hospital come from when it started? Have new goals been set for the gradual transition of the hospital from being a Primary Health care provider to providing Secondary and Tertiary healthcare? Will the new Managing Committee Members have this vision? We can only hope so.
The senior most Pastor by virtue of his seniority alone would not be the ideal person to head the hospital while a younger person may show the aptitude for such a task. The IIM Shillong is ideally located and short term courses on different management studies would not be difficult to achieve if there is a will to learn. The need of the hour is the right man in the right place.
There are many areas of the hospital which are afflicted by chronic ailments and unless the root cause of the ailments are identified and definitive treatment given, the effort to float the hospital would be like fighting a losing battle and time is not far when it will ultimately collapse. The need of the hour is deep introspection, frank and open analysis of every aspect of the Hospital with the common desire to rejuvenate this premier health care centre. Pettiness in treatment of staff should be rooted out. Qualification, experience, efficiency, length of service should be the basis for the pay structure and the same scale must be used to measure everyone Discipline needs to be enforced and stern measures taken against errant staff irrespective of their ranks.
There is need for a team of experienced technical people as the core group of thinkers and planners but the painful fact is that theologians and church leaders need to step aside and allow professionalism to come in. It is painful for the faithful to listen to the arrogant, pompous and know it all attitude of the members of the Managing Committee, mostly non technical people with zero knowledge of hospital administration who question the suggestions of technical persons in matters of purchase of medicines and equipments, and ridicule the request for permissions to attend seminars , workshops and conferences and who pay scant attention to complaints made without bothering to find out the truth about them.
The H Gordon Robert Hospital is a mission Hospital so the expectation from each and every person working in that hospital starting from the top down to the bottom is kindness, humility and an every ready helping hand for the needy. The presence of God must be seen and felt as it used to be in that golden age of the hospital say those who have seen the glorious past.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request