mctvm96 : General News Archive, February 2003 : '96 Batch, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Drug shortage at Casualty : (26/02/03)

A report highlights an acute shortage of medicines faced by the Casualty at the Medical College. The shortage is felt for drugs given as treatment for Heart Attacks, Breathlessness, Hypertension and pain-killers given for trauma patients. The drugs which are supplied by the Hospital drug store have been scarce because of faulty drug-stock taking. The Casualty officials have reported this problem on multiple occasions to the authorities. (Courtesy Malayala Manorama)

Scanning done for pin inside the 'stomach' : (26/02/03)

Ultrasound Scanning was done twice on a student named Jiji (14 years) admitted at the hospital with complaints of swallowing a pin. Apparently, the pin was swallowed accidentally when Jiji was poking his teeth with the pin. Apparently, there have been little effort to remove the pin from Jiji's 'stomach' even a week after his admission in spite of the fact that the pin has been detected by the X - Ray. The patient's bystanders had refused to take him home after the staff had advised admission. Since then he has been scheduled to undergo scanning in an effort to remove the pin. (Courtesy Malayala Manorama)

Plea against the 'Area Development' at Medical College : (25/02/03)

The Medical College Local Residents council had made a plea against the Medical College Area Development Plan. According to the council, the development should be done inside the campus of the college/hospital where land is left unused. Due to the area development, the members of the council are having difficulty in selling the land or making construction for a period of 27 years. (Courtesy Malayala Manorama)

Patient and bystander attacked inside the Ward : (25/02/03)

Mr. Gopakumar G. (an auto-rickshaw driver) who was admitted to the Medical College Casualty after allegedly getting beaten up by the Medical College Ambulance workers was attacked inside the ward by thugs. He along with his bystander Mr. Ambili were attacked after some arguments about the case filed against the Ambulance workers earlier. The whole issue startes after Gopakumar's auto-rickshaw crashed into a motorbike in front of the Medical College entrance in the morning. In the commotion that followed, the driver was allegedly beaten up. (Courtesy Malayala Manorama)

Dr. Suraraj Mani passes away : (22/02/03)

Dr. Suraraj Mani who was the Head of the Pshychiatric Department at the General Hospital Tvm. and the Secretary of State Mental Health Authority passed away on the 21st of February. He felt giddy and fell down while he was examining the patients during the rounds at the hospital. Dr. Mani, who was admitted into the Casualty, was later diagnosed of having a heart block. (Courtesy Malayala Manorama and Sivaprasad)

Concession for Doctors in train journeys : (24/02/03)

For those unaware, there was a news article about a month back claiming that Doctors who are willing to provide their services will be awarded 10% off for train journeys. I never thought you would have to carry a mini-hospital along with you for this! Yes, it's true! The plan was initiated to ensure prompt emergency medical care to all the passengers in a train. But by the looks of things, it certainly looks like the whole medical fraternity is being ridiculed. That's why even the Minsitry is unsure about the response by the doctors about this offer.

First of all, like the other concessions offered by the Indian Railways, for which you need to provide a certain proof (of your age if you are a senior citizen) as a certificate, this offer (which is only on for M. B. B. S. graduates) won't be granted by providing just the Degree Certificate. Along with that, a doctor needs to sign / write an agreement claiming that he will offer services, offer them for free and will carry these things along with him during the journey. The list (which certainly isn't too small) is as follows.

Some respite is obtained by the fact that substitutes for these medicines can be carried instead. It does seem that the doctor travelling needs to pay for all of these as the issue by the ministry does not clarify about the provision of funds.

The concession will be on offer for the smallest of journeys. All the passengers in the various compartments will be notified about the presence of a doctor on the train. If the doctor refuses to offer the servicies after using the concession, actions will be taken against him via the I. M. C. And lastly, this offer would be available from the 1st of March!

I don't think anyone among us would be willing to carry a mini-hospital for getting 10% off considering the fact that if something goes wrong, there is a chance that you will be running into serious trouble with the I. M. C.

Just consider these facts when you react to this article. Nurses get 50% off (unconditionally). Professional Artists, Civil Servants, Professional Sports persons also get upto 75% off on train journeys. So why should we be the only ones offering our 'wholesome' services for a measly 10% off?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Feb. 19. The children who were admitted to the SAT Hospital and General Hospital here after they developed giddiness due to the administration of wrong injections, are learnt to be out of danger.

As many as 206 children had developed giddiness after they were reportedly administered insulin instead of Hepatitis vaccine at a Primary Health Centre at Kalliyoor in the suburbs here today.

As many as 180 children were kept under observation at the SAT Hospital and 26 at the General Hospital for 24 hours.

The District Medical Officer, K. Shylaja, has recommended disciplinary action against the doctor in charge of the PHC and five junior public health nurses, for dereliction of duty.

The Sanitary rounds, which examine the functioning of the Medical College Hospital as a whole, will get re-started from this Friday. These rounds under the leadership of the Principal will be attended by the Superintendent, Nursing Superintendent, Electrical, Water Supply Officers had been called of about two years back due to technical reasons. The decision to restart the rounds was made at the H. D. S. meeting. The Sanitary Rounds will be headed now by the City Councellor Mr. T. V. Ajit Kumar and will visit all the wards, Operation Theatres, Toilets, Bathrooms, O. P., Casualty, Government Paywards and C. S. R. hall on a weekly basis.

Two private medical colleges to abide by decision : (17/02/03)
In the ongoing issue of reservation seats in self-financing medical colleges, managements of two private colleges have consented to go by the government decision on admission from the next academic year. The fee was fixed at Rs 1.5 lakh. The decision was taken at a meeting the Higher Education principal secretary Mohan Das convened with the management of medical colleges. When the management of Kolenchery Mission Medical Colege and Bishop Somerwel Memorial medical College, Karakonam, agreed to accept the conditions by the government, the management of Pushpagiri Medical College, Thiruvalla, found the stand unacceptable. The government will hold another round of discussions with this management. Read the whole article

The committe has decided to review the accounts of all major facilities funded by the H. D. S. by the Loacal Fund Auditing Division. Those include C. T. Scan Unit, Margin Free Medical Store etc. This is a move in order to 'clean up' the accounts of especially the Margin Free Medical store which is in disrepute with this matter in the past. The contract-based security officers who are employed by the Collector will be allowed to continue in spite of protests against them. They will be dismissed at the end of their contracts. There are moves to provide drugs from the leading compaines at the Paying Counter. There is also a move to prevent the usage of the Counter by patients not under treatment from Medical College. The Govermnet Opthalmic Hospital will get it's own Paying Counter and a store which sells lenses and spectacles. A directive for the provision of a Lithotrypsy machine for the Urology unit.

The Medical College Development Society (H. D. S.) on Saturday sanctioned a proposal to fully computerise the Margin Free Paying Counter. The work is entrusted with C-DIT. Some other modification include an S. T. D. booth near Ward 16 and a coffee vending machine at the Casualty.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Feb. 16. The referral of 43 accident victims of a bus mishap at Pangappara on Thursday brought to fore several teething problems being faced by the newly relocated Casualty at the Medical College Hospital. Though the relocation of the Casualty to a central premise was launched as part of a long-term plan to provide improved and coordinated emergency care, the arrival of mass casualties resurrected some of the problems that were common to the old Casualty block. Though the Casualty has an increased bed strength of 45 beds, a majority of the accident victims had to be taken a fair distance away to the PEID Cell above the old Casualty. As several cots at the PEID Cell had been used to boost the bed strength at the Casualty, at least one-third of the accident cases had to be accommodated on the floor at the PEID Cell. Read whole article

With the two-day-old doctors' strike demanding the release of the abducted orthopaedic surgeon of the Patna Medical College Hospital disrupting the entire medical care system in Bihar, ten more patients, including six children, died today. The toll at the PMCH has risen to 12. Reports about the impact of the strike in other parts of the State are yet to come in. The situation turned critical with doctors stopping even their private practice. Police have failed to secure the release of the surgeon, Bharat Singh, who was kidnapped along with a relative on Wednesday last. The NDA has given a call for a Patna bandh in protest against the abduction. View the full story here

The Kerala Patients' Welfare Association has called to end the neglect of the Medical College, Trivandrum. The Association pointed glaring neglect of the treatment of cancer patients with regard to the use of the Radiotherapy Unit and the absence of facility for their in patient treatment. The association also pointed out that many of the X-Ray machines, C. T. Scan machine and life support machines like Ventilators still remained in dysfunctional state. (Courtesy The Hindu)

The health Minister, Mr. P. Sankaran inaugrated the Artificial Organ Center of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department yesterday in a formal function. The function was also attended by K. Mohan Kumar (M . L. A.), Heath Secretary Mr. K. Ramamoorthy, Principal Dr. P. C. Kesavankutty Nair, H. O. D. Dr. Ahmed Pilla, Supdt. Dr. Mathew Thomas, S. A. T. Supdt. Dr. Rajmohan, Lions Club President Dr. Suseela, Dr. Fazil Marikkar etc. Articial Organs supplied by the Lions Club of Trivandrum were distributed later on in the function.

In the inaugration ceremony of the Artificial Organ Centre of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Health Minister Mr. P. Sankaran announced that the developmental project for the Heart Foundation at the MCH has been initiated. In the initial stages, the building for the Heart foundation will be constructed.

Apart from the plans for a Heart foundation, other areas are also being given due consideration. Private firms will invited for partnerships in developmental activities without affecting the concept of 'public service hospital'. A sum of Rs. 50 Lakhs has been allocated for the modernisation of the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. The Center has granted a sum of Rs. 1.5 Crore for multiple developmental activities including those for the Central Air Conditioning of the Hospital Complexes in medical colleges throughout the state.