Ahead of inspection,colleges borrow furniture

Some of the departments under construction showed large number of old stools and furniture,microscopes and other furniture transported from other medical colleges. Recognition tags on many of the furniture showed they were shifted from the Barida Medical College’s Department of Anatomy. Though government hospitals are always in need of more medical equipment given the heavy flow of patients,some of the stretchers found in the hospital premises had tags showing them to be a property of the Community Healthcare Centre (CHC),Padra.

I Parmar,dean of the new medical college at Gotri,said: “We have got the extra furniture and equipment from the other medical colleges,while the rest of the things have been purchased.” The medical college is expected to be functional by August this year,following which the MCI will decide on the number of seats to be sanctioned to the new college.

A professor from the Baroda Medical College said on condition of anonymity: “The college will require back the furniture when the new academic year starts. A lot of furniture,equipment and lab specimens have been transported to the new college for the inspection. But we have no idea if the borrowed articles will be returned or not.”

Even staff from other hospitals has been deputed here for the medical inspection. “I have been deputed here for some time. Over 100 nursing staff has been deputed here from various CHCs and civil hospitals across Gujarat. We don’t know how long we have to stay,” said a ward boy at the emergency unit.

At the Sola Civil Hospital,a few days ago there were hardly 75 beds. Now,it has turned into a 120-odd bed hospital,thanks to furniture brought from B J Medical College (BJMC) and a rural health centre.

While BJMC Dean Dr Bharat Shah refused to comment,sources in the Health Department said that nearly 20 teachers have been transferred from the college to the Sola Civil Hospital. “Under MCI’s checklist,the Sola hospital fits in some of its requirements,but the one at Gotri is a tuberculosis hospital; it hardly has any speciality there,” said the official,adding,“Medical books and instruments are also being brought from B J Medical College.”