Despite 23 OTs & high-end machines, long waitlist for planned ops, tests at AIIMS

Nagpur: Elective surgeries in around 16 of the 25 departments at the state-of-the-art All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, are in the wait list due to non-availability of specialists and superspecialists. Around 100 patients requiring different types of surgeries have been kept waiting as just four operation theatres are functional at the 500-bed Central government institution.
On Thursday, TOI visited the sprawling campus at Mihan following complaints from patients and relatives about the wait list. They complained that patients requiring minor to major procedures are currently being given a minimum of one to around two months waiting time. One of the patients said they have been told to wait for two months for their fracture surgery.
Patients were also seen waiting hours on end for radiological investigation like sonography, CT scan and MRI. In fact, in many cases patients needing an ultrasound have been given a date after a month.
Also, none of the ICUs are still functional. Critical patients were kept in makeshift wards created in the general wards.
AIIMS Nagpur was established in 2018 and was expected to have a capacity of 900 beds by 2020. Following high court intervention, the medical college was compelled to augment its limited capacity up to 500. Lockdown and Covid delayed the completion of infrastructure.
A man said they had to wait for more than three hours to get an X-ray and MRI done. “After that they asked us to either wait for two months or go to GMCH or IGGMCH if we wanted the operation done early. My wife’s shoulder and right hand have multiple fractures,” he said.
The tertiary care hospital has immaculate infrastructure and high-end imaging equipment, which is unmatched in the state. AIIMS Nagpur director Dr Vibha Dutta said the health ministry hasn’t sanctioned enough posts for optimal utilization of resources.
Medical superintendent Dr Manish Shrigiriwar admitted that there was one month wait period for sonography while timings of CT scan and MRI need to be increased.
“We have 23 operations theatres but only four are functional. Rest have technical issues like temperature control which are being sorted out. We need 12 to 15 surgeons. We have got four sanctioned posts and all are working. Ministry of health has not yet released the vacancies required here. We are short of staff right now,” said Dutta.
The director added that they were finding it difficult to get radiologists, resulting in waiting period for X-ray, MRI, ultrasound. “We will try to make up for it. This being a vacation period, some doctors are on leave too. We hope to improve services by June-end,” she said.
Asked if in these circumstances whether patients would not be instantly operated, Dutta said, “Maybe. It is difficult to tell exactly how many patients are on wait list.”
The hospitals has over 1,200 daily OPD footfall while over 100 patients are admitted. Regarding ICUs, Dutta said, “We are starting with a five-bed ICU. It will go up to 22 beds. We will soon have four functional ICUs.”