GMC Nagpur : Autonomy to be granted to Super Speciality Hospital

Nagpur: The state government is planning to grant autonomy to the Super Specialty Hospital at Nagpur in the face of rising patient load, and increasing treatment facilities at the hospital. Handling a very high patient footfall, the hospital at present is working under the administrative control of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) ,depending heavily on the GMCH leadership.

The proposal to grant this growing hospital autonomy is slowly gaining ground. In the opinion of Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis and as reported to Hitavada, “Yes, considering the need, rising treatment facilities, increase in number of patients, Super Specialty Hospital be given autonomy with administrative and financial powers. It will ease the load of GMCH and help in enhancing quality healthcare of the region.”

Prof Anil Sole, MLC agreeing with the Chief Minister’s view point said, ‘over a period of time SSH has had to depend on GMCH for various reasons. This should end now.’

After its inception, the super specialty hospital was being treated on the lines of PGIMER, Chandigarh. Way back when the load on GMCH started increasing, the Super Specialty Hospital started sharing its burden. This gave it the character of an extension to the GMCH. There came a point when there was talk about merging the two health units together by the erstwhile, Bhagwati committee. Though it was suggested in a certain context and was quite appropriate in that context, a decade ago, things have changed, since.

Looking at the medical operations of the super specialty hospital, the activities of the hospital has gone up multifold. Surgical procedures are on the rise with six kidney transplants done and three in the pipeline, four surgeries on a daily basis, eighteen cases of dialysis, two bypass surgeries under cardio vascular thoracic surgery- every day, two or three surgeries being done daily. To further add to this, the Super Specialty Unit is running two super specializations-- one in Cardio and other is in Gastroenterology. The proposal for MCH in Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery (CVTS) and DM in Nephrology has already been submitted.

Despite being a hub providing critical and specialized services, there are still certain constraints faced by the hospital . The blood bank of the facility is not fully functional, with closing time being 4 pm. CT scan was also closing at 4 o clock, earlier and has recently extended time to 8 pm.

It is assumed financial, functional and administrative autonomy when granted to this facility is bound to streamline functions, increase resource efficiency and truly have it acquire the character of PGIMER Chandigarh.