MUMBAI, Jan 29: Concerned over the lack of proper staff at its super-speciality hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 1992 resolved to appoint at least one cardiologist at each of them. Last week, nearly seven-and-a-half years later, the BMC decided to implement its resolution.Many civic hospitals boast of super-special facilities like surgical Intensive Cardiac Care Units (ICCUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICU) to attend to critically ill patients. But except for Nair, KEM and LTMG hospitals, most of them did not have qualified doctors to treat the patients.
Especially, suburban civic hospitals like Dr R N Cooper hospital at Juhu, Rajawadi hospital at Ghatkopar and M T Agarwal Hospital at Mulund (west), which have full-fledged ICCUs, depend solely on services of honourary assistant cardiologists and lecturers.
The K B Bhabha Hospital at Bandra and Centenary Hospital at Govandi were worse. They depended solely on their physicians to take care of the critical ill heart patients dueto unavailability of a cardiologists.
Patients admitted in these suburban hospitals had to be rushed to the nearest major teaching hospital when they required super-specialised intensive care as the suburban hospitals were unable to provide the required treatment due to the absence of a full-fledged cardiology department.
The senior BJP corporator A S Rao's decision to appoint a cardiologist at all ICCU available hospitals was turned down by the Municipal Commissioner who maintained that the patients were already being attended to by well-qualified and experienced physicians.
The Commissioner said that enough precautions were also being taken while transferring such patients. The resolution was disposed on assurances that the BMC was in the process of appointing honourary assistant cardiologists in suburban hospitals.
But following persistent demands from corporators, the BMC has now appointed honourary cardiologists at all the above hospitals. "The surgical ICCUs are set up at a cost of crores ofrupees, and what we failed to understand is why the BMC chose not to appoint even a single qualified cardiologist. But then, for the BMC, it's always better late than never," said Dr Rao.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
