All vacancies in Maharashtra GMCHs to be filled in 4 months: Govt

NAGPUR: Maharashtra government on Thursday assured to fill up all vacancies in various Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals (GMCH) within four months.
Replying to a starred question by MLAs Amit Satam, Prashant Thakur and others, medical education minister Girish Mahajan said over 4,500 posts are lying vacant in the state out of 15,131 posts in C category and 9,543 in D category, which collectively amounts to 28%. Also, 1,204 posts of teachers are vacant in these colleges, he said.
Mahajan said the government has filled 300 posts and orders have been issued to concerned departments to fill up all vacant posts within four months. Mahajan also admitted that a girl Vaishnavi Bageshwar died in Nagpur Government Medical College due to non-availability of ventilator.
On Wednesday, a calling attention motion was tabled on the same issue wherein MPCC president Nana Patole drew the attention of the house towards various issues plaguing the GMCHs in Nagpur stating that many patients passed away due to lack of facilities there.
MLA Vikas Thakre questioned whether GMCH doctors were allowed to run private dispensaries and how many of them were involved in such practice. Other members said due to lack of facilities, patients are not getting proper treatment at GMCH and Indira Gandhi Medical College in the city.
Leader of opposition Ajit Pawar raised the issue of 17-year-old Bageshwar’s death due to non-availability of ventilator. He flayed the government for making announcements of setting up of GMCHs in all districts but not making efforts to provide staff to the existing ones, due to which poor patients suffer.
Mahajan admitted that there were difficulties in providing patient care due to vacancies of doctors and other staff. Accepting the members’ contention that the girl died due to lack of ventilators, he said the GMCH has 154 ventilators operational out of 235. He said then dean Dr Sudhir Gupta was relieved after Bageshwar’s death while a departmental enquiry against Dr Sapkal was underway. He admitted that situation in other GMCHs was the similar.
Speaking on the issue of GMCH doctors indulging in private practice, Mahajan said health department is plagued by corrupt practices. “The issue is serious. We will review it,” he said.
Earlier, Pawar and Thakre said over 10 lakh patients visit both government hospitals in Nagpur annually, but both medical institutions lack adequate facilities to treat such a large number of patients. Patients at these hospitals are told to bring medicines from outside, they said.
Pawar and Thakre also demanded action against Haffkine Institute. Questions are being raised about Haffkine’s future as 11 directors were changed in two and a half years, they pointed out.
Mahajan said currently GMCH has authority to spend 10% of total budget on making purchases, while rest needs to be procured through Haffkine. He said the government would allow GMCH to spend 30% of their budget.