8 hours ago
5 years on, Sassoon hospital awaits approval for additional beds at 11-storey building
Pune: Five years since admission to patients began in the 11-storey building at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital (BJMC & SGH), approval for 504 additional beds is awaiting official approval from the state's medical education and drugs department (MEDD).
The building houses the paediatric, pulmonary, orthopaedic and radiology departments.
It has affected recruitment of staff to handle these additional patients and funds needed to buy medicines and consumables, officials at the BJMC & SGH said. They added that once the file is approved by MEDD, it will be sent to the state finance department for final approval.
The building was planned in 2009 after the swine flu epidemic but took 11 years to construct.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the building was thrown open on an urgent basis to admit serious patients.
Dr Eknath Pawar, dean at BJMC & SGH, said, "As of now we are working at 66% of staff strength at the hospital and medical college. For the hospital's old buildings, we have an approval for 1,296 beds and for that we have an approved staff strength of 3,091."
As per the information obtained from the hospital, of the 2,359 approved posts for class 1-4 employees at the old buildings, only 1,565 are filled and 794 are vacant.
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Of the 732 approved posts for BJ Medical College, 424 are filled and 308 are vacant.
Dr Pawar said, "We had in 2022 sent a proposal seeking approval for 504 beds at the 11-storey building and also the staff required for those beds. We are yet to get a response on it. About the vacancies in the approved posts, we have already issued a tender to fill in the class four posts and in the next two months, 350 workers will be recruited.
For class 1 and 2 posts, recruitment process is under way via the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
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The acute shortage of staff gravely affects patient services. Maya Jagtap, who has her relative admitted at the 11-storey building's orthopedic department ward, said, "Often there are no nurses or class 4 workers available to take the patient from the ward to the radiology department for scans. We have to be near the building all the time so that we can help our kin."
Hasan Mushrif, minister of medical education, said, "I will look into it and if the approval is pending at our level, I will get it done in one week. I will immediately follow up on the proposal with the secretary of MEDD."
Dheeraj Kumar, secretary, MEDD, could not be contacted for his comment despite several attempts. Rajiv Nivatkar, commissioner, MEDD, said, "I am out of town now; I will get back when I have information."
City-based health activist and an alumnus of BJ Medical College, Dr Sanjay Dabhade, said that first it took 11 years for the 11-storey building to be constructed and then it was opened only when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and now govt is delaying approving the beds.
"The hospital is always struggling to manage the existing patient load but with additional patients coming in, it will soon reach a breaking point. Why should it take five years to approve the beds which are already in use? This hospital is not only the hope for serious patients who come from different districts of Maharashtra but also for many homeless and poor people. Without enough staff, patient services are hampered gravely and there would be constant conflict between patients and healthcare workers.
State govt must immediately approve these beds and the staff required," he said.
