Staff shortage, parking issues plague IGMC
Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, the premier health institute of the state, has been grappling with challenges such as staff shortage and lack of infrastructure. While the strength of doctors is reasonably satisfactory — 190 doctors against the sanctioned strength of 237 and over 30 designated Assistant Professors — the problem arises when it comes to ministerial, paramedical and nursing staff.
Currently, over 50 per cent sanctioned posts of the nursing staff are vacant. Out of the sanctioned 863 posts of staff nurses, over 450 are vacant. Similarly, there’s an acute shortage of key paramedical professionals like operation theatre assistants, lab assistants, pharmacists and radiographers. The situation of ministerial staff is more worrisome as out of the 163 sanctioned posts, over 100 continue to be vacant.
Such a massive shortage affects the smooth working of the hospital and the medical college. The IGMC is banking on the recent announcement of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to appoint over 450 nursing and paramedical staff at the hospital and Atal Super Specialty Hospital, Chamyana, on an outsource basis.
“We have already sent our demand to the recruiting agency. We will get some nursing, paramedical staff and some data entry operators. That will ease out the staff crunch to some extent,” said Dr Sita Thakur, IGMC principal.
Need for a dedicated floor for attendants
We have sought some space for constructing two additional lecture theatres and an examination hall in the parking lots coming up. We are also seeking one floor to have a rest room for attendants as many of them are forced to spend the night on the ramps inside the hospitals. —Dr Sita Thakur, IGMC principal
Besides, the hospital urgently needs to improve its diagnostic facilities, especially the MRI machine. The current machine is obsolete and breaks down frequently. With just one MRI machine available, patients have to wait four to five months to get the scan done. Similarly, one of the two CT scan machines also needs immediate replacement.
Given the increasing patient load, doctors feel the hospital needs to have two high-end MRI machines and three CT scan machines.
Another pressing issue that needs to be addressed is the severe shortage of parking facilities. Apparently, the construction of a few facilities has been underway for the past few years, but it appears to lack the desired pace and urgency.
Struggling with space
Lecture theatres, examination halls and residential facilities of the medical college are inadequate.MBBS seats at the IGMC have increased from 60 to 120 over the years, however, the lecture halls are too small to accommodate all the students. Shortage of residential facilities on the campus for the students and resident doctors.
