Medical infrastructure is the key

CHENNAI: Improving the medical infrastructure across the State would be among the primary goals of the freshly elected State government, new Health Minister Dr VS Vijay has said on Wednesday. The comment came after he visited the Government Maternity Hospital and Hospital for Women and Children at Egmore.“We will take up the work on medical and hospital infrastructure after surveying the current situation and consulting with the leadership,” said Vijay to doctors at the hospital. It is said that the doctors complaint told the minister that the facility was facing a shortage of beds.The minister spent around 75 minutes at the hospital and visited a number of wards, including the neo natal ward. He didn't spend too much time at the maternity wards for fear of spreading infection to infants. He took some administrators to task for the lax implementation of hygiene standards. Sanitation and basic amenities, Dr Vijay said, would be the primary focus and added that he was not "fully satisfied" with what he saw. "The honourable Chief Minister has advised us to ensure basic amenities at all government hospitals and this will be my primary target," he said in an informal chat with City Express.However, a stumbling block to achieving this target could be the vacancies in the sanitary workers posts. Dr Vijay said his department would study the problem and come out with a solution soon.The minister also inspected the new Obstetrics ward that is under construction and promised that his ministry would take steps to expedite all construction activities and get those facilities open soon. The new Obsetetrics ward would be ready by March next year. The eagerness of staff at both hospitals to please the minister was very evident. The floors of the Institute of Child Health had been washed clean prior to his visit. In fact, the entire hospital premises had been spruced up for the ministerial visit. Huge splotches of bleaching powder marked the otherwise neglected patches of flooring, rendering the air pungent. Staff at the hospital conceded that the customary patches of bleaching powder were usually absent.“This hospital sees a large number of patients everyday and it is difficult to stay on top of the mess they leave behind,” said an elderly woman. She added that a high standard of cleanliness could be maintained if the number of hands were increased.