SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the Director as well as the Head of Department, Cardiology of NEIGRIHMS to ensure that surgeries are carried out from Thursday as per schedule and patient care does not suffer.
Hearing a matter in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate on Tuesday for resolution of the stalemate that has led to cancellation of surgeries in the department, a division bench of Chief Justice Md Yaqoob Mir and Justice HS Thangkhiew directed the Medical Superintendent to hold a meeting with the Cardiology Department on Wednesday itself and immediately work out a solution so that right from tomorrow surgeries as per schedule are carried out.
“We further direct that the Chief Secretary of the State shall depute an Additional Chief Secretary to head the meeting which shall be held tomorrow in NEIGRIHMS itself. In the meeting Director NEIGRIHMS, HoD Cardiology Department, Dr Animesh Mishra, Medical Superintendent, NEIGRIHMS shall participate and in addition thereto, a representative from the Ministry of Health shall also participate,” the court said.
Assistant Solicitor General of India Anuradha Paul submitted that a representative from the ministry may reach Shillong on Wednesday or Thursday morning.
“Representative of Amrit Pharmacy shall also be included and a long term solution to all the issues shall be worked out so that the situation as it is at present may not rise again in future. Whatever decision taken by the Committee shall be implemented and report be submitted to this Court on Monday,” the order added.
The court took up the matter while taking serious note of the situation which has given rise to postponement of about 34 surgeries in the Cardiology department in view of the differences between it and the NEIGRIHMS administration.
Both Director Dr D M Thappa as well as Dr Animesh Mishra appeared before the court on Wednesday to make their respective stances clear.
The court said that from their submissions, it appears that there is some trust deficit, as a result whereof important surgical materials required to be utilised in the surgeries have not been made available for varied reasons.
Dr Thappa made it clear that he is adhering to all advisories and formalities, and as a Director he will ensure that all materials required by the Cardiology department is made available to them so that surgeries are not postponed.
He said that a meeting has already been convened by the Medical Superintendent but Cardiology department did not send its representative.
The Director also mentioned that some surgical materials are being supplied at subsidised rates under the Amrit Scheme. Amrit Pharmacy at times is not supplying the materials in time which also gives rise to complicacies and it is in that backdrop modalities were to be worked out in the interest of patient care so as to purchase such materials from other sources.
The court added that both the Director and the Head of Department are responsible persons and respectable as well. Director has to run the administration but in the process has to abide by all norms and at the same time has to carry the entire team along so as to achieve the objective for which NEIGRIHMS was established.
The order also stated that NEIGRIHMS, a premier institute, is supposed to take care of the health sector of the state and other inhabitants of the neighbouring states.
“We are dismayed to hear that the patients in the Cardiology department in view of the present difficulties are suffering and some patients have requested to refer them to some other hospitals. Earlier we were given to understand that the material made available under Amrit Scheme is not acceptable to the Cardiology department which is not a fact. The fact of the matter as emerged from their respective submissions is that surgical material in quantity and quality is not made available so as to help the Cardiology department to carry out its day-to-day work including emergency surgeries. Director as well as HoD have their own limitations but at the same time both have to join hands so as to see that people will not lose trust in functioning of NEIGRIHMS,” the order further added.
Dr Mishra said that the Cardiology department has reached new heights in view of its dedicated work and is expected to be more committed and should not allow a situation to rise for postponement of surgeries.
“The claim that in view of non-availability of surgical materials it was impracticable for them to carry out surgeries is a genuine concern but at the same time they should have sorted out the problems by meeting the Director or in the meeting convened by the Medical Superintendent,” the order added.
Govt inquiry
The state government has asserted that it can set up an inquiry committee if needed to find out the crux of the problems in the NEIGRIHMS.
Soon after the directions of the high court, the doctors from the Cardiology department led by Dr Mishra met Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and Health Minister AL Hek here and held detailed discussions.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Tynsong said that if needed the government can institute an inquiry into the matter as it is concerned about the suffering patients.
Lamenting that the Cardiology department is non-functional since April 30, he added that the government as per the directive of the court has asked the institute to resume surgeries from Thursday.
However, the Director of the institute was not present in the meeting.
According to Tynsong, the government can call anybody and everybody and the meeting was convened since this is the immediate solution.
On the other hand, Dr Mishra said that the meeting was satisfactory and the government has directed them to make sure that not even one singe patient suffers from Thursday
“We are happy that the government has heard our problems and now we will operate even 24 hours if needed to clear the backlog,” he said.
Asserting that they want the Director of the institute to hear their grievances, he informed that a meeting was held with Medical Superintendent of the institute where they have given certain suggestions and another meeting is lined up on Thursday.
When asked about the allegations made against him, he said that he is ready for any sort of inquiry even if it is done by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
When asked about the stents, pacemakers and other materials available in the Amrit Pharmacy, he said that those are inadequate in both quantity and quality to perform even a single type of procedure.
Meanwhile, Health Minister AL Hek on Wednesday went to NEIGRIHMS and met Director Dr DM Thappa and submitted a letter to him to ensure that patients should not suffer in the internal conflict of the institute.
Talking to media persons, Thappa said that the matter is being monitored by the high court and they would abide by all its directions.
Hek meanwhile informed that even the Governor, Tathagata Roy, has expressed concern over the stalemate in NEIGRIHMS and has called for early its resolution.
