Service priority pill for PMCH

Patna: Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, the new Patna Medical College and Hospital boss, has prioritised streamlining facilities, including availability of free medicines and diagnostic services, at the state’s premier health-care hub.

Government Medical College, Bettiah, principal Prasad was notified as the next PMCH superintendent on Saturday evening. He is expected to take charge on Tuesday. Prasad said ultimately he wants to give the feel of first-class service to the patients.

“The in-charge of the drug store releases medicine for the outpatient department only on requisition at present. We will develop a system so that availability of drugs is assessed from time to time. If there is a shortage of any medicine or any drug is near expiration, it would be tracked and requisition for purchase will be sent much earlier so that there is no shortage,” Prasad, who addressed infrastructure deficiencies at the Bettiah medical college with pre-fabricated structures, said. “Similar approach will be taken to ensure availability of other free services, including diagnostic services such as CT scan and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). All these facilities are to be provided for free according to the government’s schemes and we will try to ensure it.”

“The state government has big plans for the PMCH, as it will be converted into a 5,000-bed hospital that will match international standards. We will try to ensure that patients get the feel of first-class services here,” he said, adding that improving doctor-patient communication to minimise conflict will be another of his priorities.

“There is very little communication between the doctors and their patients because of the huge workload on the medicos here. This leads to confusion and mistrust, and often doctor-patient conflicts. By bridging the communication gap between them, we can ensure there is no strike. I was principal of the Government Medical College in Bettiah. It is a new medical college and hospital so it is still faced with infrastructure problems but there had been no strike by the students or doctors in the last four years of my stint there. So I will try to ensure the same environment is created in PMCH,” he said.

The new superintendent also said he will ensure the doctors and hospital staff were punctual, and there was no delay in services rendered.

Courtesy: The Telegraph