JORHAT, May 5 � After discussions with the senior medical officers and doctors concerned of the Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH) and Golaghat�s Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital (KKCH), State Health and Family Welfare minister Dr Nazrul Islam today assured of fulfilling the basic needs of both the hospitals, which witnessed shortage of funds and manpower including doctors, nurses and other paramedical staffs.
Admitting the shortage of required number of employees and facilities in both the hospitals, Dr Islam said that his department is committed to provide necessary facilities for proper diagnosis and treatment in both the hospitals. According to him, the requirement of doctors will be fulfilled in the State after the new medical colleges produce graduates in the coming years.
It is to be mentioned that as the �user fund� of JMCH cannot alone afford the monthly expenditures of the hospital it faced serious problems of fund-crunch which appeared to be a major cause of concern for the officials. Official sources of the hospital revealed that excluding the monthly salary of the doctors and other employees, the hospital has to spend around Rs 7 lakh for cleaning and Rs 5 lakh for security service, besides the monthly expenditures of around Rs 5 lakh for generators and over Rs 14 lakh for laboratory needs.
Though an approximate amount of Rs 27 can be collected from the patient�s contribution to the �user fund� in a month, JMCH cannot function properly only with this fund.
However, in reply to a question on financial assistance to the hospital, the minister said that he would take initiatives to provide monetary support for the hospital so that it can function smoothly for the service of the people. He also said a proposal is to be submitted to the Central Government for setting up a well-equipped laboratory like Lahowal-based RMRC laboratory in Jorhat.
During the meeting, officers substantiated the need of faculty members in the JMCH where many departments of different disciplines are yet to be started. Some employees of the JMCH submitted a memorandum to the minister requesting him to include several categories of them in the government�s service rule.
In KKCH of Golaghat, Dr Islam stated that the vacant posts of sweepers and some medical staffs would be filled up soon. Asked about the opening of the intensive care unit (ICU) in KKCH (which was financially assisted by the local MLA Ajanta Neog), he replied that it would opened soon.
A paediatric intensive care unit of the hospital is yet to be functional for the lack of infrastructure though four doctors were appointed for it. However, Dr Islam also promised of making it functional within a short period.
