A month after it started functioning, the 10-bedded cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) established at the Advanced Cardiac Centre (ACC) of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is facing staff crunch.
The unit was established for paediatric patients in addition to the 25-bedded adult cardiac unit at the ACC.
One of the nurses pleading anonymity said, “There is a shortage of more than five nurses in three shifts in the ICU, where children and infants with heart disease are admitted. We need dedicated personnel to take care of these critically ill children.”
The nurse said, “As per the working of PGI, for three beds, there should be two nurses.But in the newly established unit, only two-three nurses are looking after all the patients, which according to the norms should be more.There are three shifts in 24 hours and due to staff shortage, the nursing officers here are overburdened.”
“The intensive care unit demands utmost attention from the staff posted there, so there is an immediate need to increase the employee strength,” said another nurse.
General secretary of PGI Nurses’ Welfare Association, Satyaveer Singh Dagar, said, “There is a huge shortage of the nursing staff here and those who are working are overburdened. Before opening a new unit, the administration should think about the feasibility regarding the availability of employees.”
{{/usCountry}}General secretary of PGI Nurses’ Welfare Association, Satyaveer Singh Dagar, said, “There is a huge shortage of the nursing staff here and those who are working are overburdened. Before opening a new unit, the administration should think about the feasibility regarding the availability of employees.”
{{/usCountry}}“It is just a makeshift arrangement and a meeting for the proper functioning of the unit will be held shortly. In the next few months, new staff and doctors will be available,” said ACC head of department, Prof, Yashpal Sharma.
As per the PGI officials, the institute overall has a shortage of 1,750 nursing staff members.
The proposal to create 1,500 posts for nursing officers is pending for approval before Union finance ministry even though 250 posts are lying vacant here, an official said.