Face To Face: 'AIIMS Bhopal Has Shortage Of Manpower, Infrastructure’

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): All India Institute Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Director Dr Ajai Singh spoke to Free Press on problems and facilities at AIIMS.

People feel that AIIMS doors remain closed for them in case of emergency. Earlier, there was infrastructure and manpower for 960 beds. Increased number of beds to 1400 with same infrastructure and manpower.

So, there is acute shortage of manpower and facilities specially to accommodate more patients in case of emergency. We have sent the proposal to union health ministry for more hands.

We launched e-ICU for better healthcare in districts without brining patients to AIIMS, Bhopal. It was launched in Vidisha. Now, patients are not coming from there. We provide all assistance through video conferencing. But interest was not taken for other districts.

AIIMS also developed referral system but other healthcare institutes did not respond in a proper way leading to direct rush of patients to AIIMS.

There is waiting up to 4 months for MRI, CT scan in AIIMS.

We have two MRI and two CT scan machines. We have sent proposal for one more MRI and CT scan machine. We are trying to make arrangement for more MRI and CT scan machines. We are also trying to make other facilities available.

AIIMS was established mainly for research. What is the situation now?

We have three projects from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. All these six projects are based on environment. In Madhya Pradesh, we are doing environment-based project in Singrauli. There, research is on.

AIIMS had launched drone facility under outreach medical treatment programme. It doesn’t seem much productive?

It was launched to transport medicines in remote tribal belt. It has been halted for the time being as focus is on development of infrastructure. Central government has given more importance to strengthening of infrastructure in AIIMS.

What other innovative initiatives are on anvil?

Our next step is lung and liver transplant for which approval of State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) is needed. Process is underway. The team verifies the facilities and other factors, which we have. We are doing heart, kidney, bone marrow, eye transplant.

In pipeline are separate cancer unit in AIIMS and helipad on AIIMS campus.