Jharkhand hospital flags non-functional ventilators it got under PM Cares

JHARKHAND’S BIGGEST government hospital, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), flagged concerns about non-functional ventilators given to it through PM Cares Fund during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual interaction with prominent doctors from across India on Monday.

The hospital also told the Prime Minister about the lack of technical manpower in the state.

Representing RIMS, Dr Pradip Bhattacharya, who heads the Critical Care Unit at the hospital, told the Prime Minister how the hospital increased its medical capacity during the second surge of the pandemic and how he introduced ward-based ICU system to cater to the patients.

However, Dr Bhattacharya told The Indian Express, he also flagged the issues. “I told our Prime Minister that we [RIMS] were given 100 oxygen concentrators and 100 ventilators through PM Cares Fund and thanked him for giving us Made In India products. But I also told him that out 104 ventilators, 45 did not work.”

“The problems ranged from several parts being missing to facing problems in assembling due to some technical issues among others. I also said that we should aim for quality high-end products instead of going for quantity,” he said.

Jharkhand has so far received 500 ventilators in the first tranche and 750 in the second through PM Cares Fund.

Dr Bhattacharya said his suggestions included use of unemployed manpower in the against Covid. “We lack technicians and we need three times more than what has been given to us. We need essential medicines on time. We need to make a provision for technicians’ staying on the campus because of oxygen supply system being prone to problems,” he said he suggested to the Prime Minister.