SHILLONG, Jan 21: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Saturday visited the District Maternity and Child Hospital (DMCH) and Civil Hospital, Tura, and held discussions on the functioning of the two crucial healthcare institutions in the district.
During the meeting with the doctors of DMCH, the minister was told that in 13 years of its services, the scenario of the hospital has changed as per the increasing growth of population and the demand for the patient beds also increased by more than 100%.
According to the doctors, the admission of patients in the 50-bed hospital at present comes to about 130 a day, where the patients had to be kept on the floor and even on the ramps.
The doctors told the Health minister that the bed occupancy rate had increased but the human resources which had been then sanctioned for the 50-bed had not been increased to tackle the present situation, whereby quality care to be given to the patients cannot be met by the staff due to opposite patient-staff ratio.
Lyngdoh was briefed that the hospital will soon be upgraded into a 100-bed hospital since another 50-bed annexe is coming up in the facility.
The patient inflow at the hospital is expected to increase to 200 patients a day since the DMCH, Tura, is the only referral hospital in the whole of Garo Hills.
The doctors told the minister that they also get referrals from neighbouring states like Assam. There are lots of challenges and issues in terms of giving quality care due to dearth of human resources.
The hospital also started the CPS (College of Physician and Surgeon) Course from May 2023.
Two students for Diploma in Gynaecology and Obstetrics (DGO) and Diploma in Child Health (DCH) each were admitted for the year 2023-24.
The issue of inadequate Anesthesiologist was also highlighted since the DMCH, Tura, conducts multiple emergency and elective surgeries for obstetrical, gynecological and general surgery cases 24×7 on a daily basis. “However the hospital has only one anesthesiologist who is unable to handle the workload of multiple surgeries on a daily basis which directly affects the care of hospital patients requiring surgery,” the doctors informed.
Not only this, the hospital has only one Pediatrician who is occupied with CPS Course along with his regular duties in sick newborn care unit, newborn care corner, nutrition rehabilitation centre, children’s ward and out-patient department.
The hospital authorities requested if two more Pediatricians to run the hospital smoothly.
The DMCH hospital being a referral hospital does not have a Radiologist (MD Radio-diagnosis) specialist for various radiological investigations or a Pathologist for various pathological investigations and to ensure the smooth and standardized running of Laboratory Services of the hospital and the upcoming Blood Storage Unit which directly affects the quality of patient care.
The doctors also impressed for uninterrupted power supply which very crucial to provide quality care to patients as power is required for essential hospital equipment like monitors, machines for hospital laboratory, oxygen plants, operation theater equipment, ICU machines etc.
According to the doctors, even though Generators are available the cost of fuel to run them are exorbitant when load shedding is for multiple hours, resulting in exhaustion of funds.
The DMCH hospital also lacked Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances and mortuary van despite being a referral hospital.
So far there are no newly appointed human resources (Anaesthetist, General Medical Officer, technicians, staff nurses, sweepers, and attendants) for the newly inaugurated PICU.
