054. Kasaragode Hospital Spends Lavishly For Artists, Not For Pediatric Equipments.

Kasaragode Hospital Spends Lavishly For Artists, Not For Pediatric Equipments

'Kasaragode General Hospital spent 50,000 rupees for drawing 30 pictures of Micky Mouse, Tom & Jerry and Donald Duck in the walls of the children’s ward. The hospital superintendent Dr. Narayana Naik told Indian Vision Channel that this was made possible with the help of Hospital Development Committee, and as the next step, every wall in the hospital would be painted and filled with colourful pictures.' (News reported by India Vision Channel Live on 14th September 2014)

Special Correspondent
Kerala Health Research Online

According to health and revenue authorities, Hospital Development Committees in Kerala are outdated and long due for reconstitution. No one cared to regularize and develop them as societies fit enough to hold enormous sums in custody. Kasaragode District Hospital’s HDC is no exception. The District Collector of Kasaragode has full responsibility for the money-spending of this HDC which seems to have unlimited funds accumulated through years but no sense of destination. The politicians in this retired committee are spending money lavishly and foolishly. Indian hospital rooms have their long-approved colour patterns- green below and white above- to create pacifying, soothing effect. Nobody will paint them in red, pink and violet- angry colours. Normal stay for a child in hospital is three days. On the first and second days, the children won’t see practically anything for they would be in pains. On the third day, the day of their discharge, they do not need see anything; they just wish to go home. If they have to stay for more than three days in Kasaragode District Hospital, this hospital is bad in administration, cross-infectious, useless and risky. Because there is money, we cannot spend it; it is our reserves. When large amounts of money needed for a pediatric ward cannot be obtained from government, then, and then alone, can we spend HDC funds. Somebody must tell the Hospital Superintendent and the District Collector of this truth. Does this hospital have enough Pediatric Exam Tables and Scale Tables? Do they have Neonatal Infant Care Infant Warmers? How many working Transportable Infant Incubators do they have? How many Portable Vital Signs Monitors, Hand-Held Pediatric Vital Signs Monitors and Oximeters? How many Baby Finger Print Pulse Oximeters? Do they have Automated External Defibrillators, Fetal Monitors and Fiber-optic Phototherapy Systems? Have they ever demanded these from the Director of Health Services or Medical Services Corporation or have ever written to government requesting these. Have this committee ever discussed these basic necessities of children’s ward in meetings and recorded in minutes? There is a limit to ignorance, negligence and incompetence. Either leave decisions to doctors and other medically-qualified professionals or resign decently from this ornamental committee. Only in hospitals would this cheap political power play become possible. Will Kasaragode District Collector allow and tolerate a politically constituted Collectorate Development Committee imposed upon him, making him a puppet in taking decisions? If this committee, which knows nothing about children’s treatment other than how to make children, want to know about what are needed in pediatric wards, come down from the skies and ask the B.Sc. and M.Sc. Nursing-qualified staff who will tell them to purchase Electric Cots, Mobile Aneroid Stand With Cuffs (Rs.20000/-), Hand-Held Oximeters (Rs.60000/-), Portable Pulse Oximeters With Finger Sensors (Rs.80000/-), Gamma XL Patient Monitor (Rs.300000/-) or even a Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System which will cost only £500,000. Let this HDC prove their mettle.

Mobile Aneroid Stand With Cuffs is a Blood Pressure Machine with reusable blood pressure cuffs of varying sizes to suit any child. Hand-Held Oximeters are used to monitor oxygen levels in babies to prevent damage to vital organs due to lack of oxygen. Portable Pulse Oximeters With Finger Sensors are hand-held devises to monitor pulse and oxygen level while child patients are moved from place to place. Respiratory Humidifiers heat and moisturize the oxygen that is being delivered to children during mechanical ventilation, to prevent them from becoming cold, thick airway secretions from building up, breathing tubes from blocking up and the little lungs from collapsing, based on the principle that humidified and heated oxygen will make children recover faster. Vital Signs Monitors in pediatric and neo natal wards and emergency wards reads, registers and provides all necessary vital signs of the sick child. Gamma XL Patient Monitor can be purchased for Rs.300000/- which will watch all vital signs including Pulse Rate, Temperature, Blood Pressure and Cardiac and Pulmonary functions, replace all other equipments and prevent children from being moved to different monitoring levels, floors or rooms. The latest thing to present a children’s ward in a hospital with is the Da-Vinci Robotic Surgical System which ensures more accuracy in surgery, lesser pain, smaller scars and quicker discharge. The surgeon at the console sees 3D images of internal organs, makes tiny incisions, manipulates miniature instruments and performs surgery. These are becoming popular now- U.S. has 300 0f them and U.K. 1. Why don’t Kasaragode try? Anything is possible, and do not tighten purses where children are concerned. Also take care of a few other things. How many High Dependency Unit Beds, Electric Cots, Pediatric Nurses, Consultant Pediatricians and Anesthetists trained in Pediatric Care are there? Is there a Children’s Ambulatory Care Ward, so that children needn’t stay even a day for surgery? Are cots, waiting room chairs, and equipments including thermometers and birthing-baths beyond or with in Accepted Infection Control Parameters and Standards? Are all beds provided with oxygen space and access to oxygen outlets? What about prevention of cross-infection? Are medical and surgical patients separated? What about cleanliness in children’s baths, toilets and closets?

Link to News Article:

ചികിത്സക്കെത്തുന്ന കുരുന്നുകള്‍ക്ക് കൂട്ടായി കാര്‍ട്ടൂണ്‍ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളും

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Tags: Kerala, Kerala Health News, Health Research Online, Kerala Public Health, Health News, Health Corruption, Kasaragode, Pediatric Equipments, Pediatric Wards, District Hospitals, Hospital Funds, HDC