Conditions in AIIMS ICUs far from satisfactory,says internal report

The report,accessed by Newsline,states that the paediatric surgery department faces “shortage of beds” while paediatric medicine has “inadequate space,suboptimal staff (faculty,nurses),and shortage of medicine”.

At the AIIMS Trauma Centre,“congestion,lack of isolation,storage space,office for staff,shortage of manpower,anaesthesia residents,faculty and technicians” have been identified as problem areas.

Centres for super specialty disciplines are also struggling. In the Cardio-Neuro Centre,the Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS) department and Coronary Care Unit have “shortage of space and manpower at all levels”.

The ICU in the Neuro Centre has “shortage of senior resident doctors”,while the gastrointestinal surgery and medicine departments have shortage of space.

In the nodal anaesthesia ICU where there are 12 beds,essentials like antibiotics,nutrition and disposable equipment have been found to be in short supply.

On the equipment front,the picture is not so grim. The report states that all ICUs have modern beds,advanced monitoring facilities for cardio,neuro and respiratory indicators,and facilities for respiratory support including inhalation devices,BiPAP and CPAP machines.

Organ support facilities like dialysis machines,warming devices and pneumatic compression devices have been found to be in working condition. Investigation facilities like endoscopy,ultrasound and digital X-rays are available for all ICU patients,the report states.

Details of ICUs were sought from all departments and these were compiled by the Department of Anaesthesiology. AIIMS spokesperson Dr Y K Gupta declined to comment on the report. He also did not respond to an email questionnaire.

The report,which has already been placed before the standing finance committee (SFC) of the institute,will now be perused by the hospital management board or the hospital affairs committee.

“The SFC studied the report but referred it to the other bodies to get technical opinion on the state of the ICUs before financial allocations for upgradation. Since an internal report has pointed out so many faults,the matter should have been considered by the respective boards by now,” a senior official said.

In 2010,the Health Ministry had directed the institute to form a committee to suggest minimum standards for ICUs across the country. A final report on the matter is still to be sent.