RMLIMS needs to inject more life into super-specialty care

Staff crunch: Several services are not available to patients coming through OPD. ICU and ventilator only available to those operated at the institute

The Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) was set up as a tertiary care centre with the objective of reducing load on the SGPGI. But two years since the launch of its OPD services, the institute seems to be falling short of providing super-specialty care to patients coming from Trans-Gomti areas and adjoining districts.

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The institute is reeling under staff crisis, as a result of which several services are not available to patients coming through the OPD. The ICU and the ventilator services are only for those patients who are operated here.

With three operation theatres at the institute, 16 surgeries can be performed here every day but only four are done. The number is restricted, as the institute doesn’t have adequate number of resident doctors for post-operative care of patients. Apart from the shortage of resident doctors (only 12 junior residents here), there are vacancies for other clinical posts too.

Though patient inflow has gone up from two to 250 since October 2010 and recently two open-heart surgeries were performed to establish the institute as an option for economical treatment, the RMLIMS is reeling under staff crisis.

“We are soon going t o increase number of operations, make fresh appointments and expand services. Once we are able to fill vacancies, the number of operations will go up manifold,” said Dr MC Pant, director of the institute.

He said that since all the equipment are functional and infrastructure is complete, clinical services would be expanded soon. The institute is currently running 16 super specialty departments, including neurosurgery, CTVS, urology, radiotherapy, gastro surgery, neurology and gastroenterology.