Basic supplies unavailable at Rims emergency dept: Jr docs

Ranchi: The Junior Doctors' Association (JDA) of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) said basic supplies like paracetamol, IV fluids, and cannulas are unavailable in the central emergency department, forcing the patients to rely on private medical stores.

"On Thursday, a first-year resident doctor from the obstetrics and gynaecology department lost consciousness. The emergency unit failed to respond. This is not about supplies but lives," said Dr Abhishek Hansda, the vice-president of the JDA.

Over half of the patient monitors in the department are non-functional. There is no proper system to ensure timely restocking of medical essentials. Patients who arrive in critical condition often face delays or are asked to buy emergency items from outside, the association said.

An attendant, Pramod Das, said, "My mother needed urgent care on Wednesday, but the doctors told me to buy IV fluids from outside."

Rims public relations officer Rajiv Ranjan said, "A new purchase order was placed two days ago. The vendor from 2018 has been replaced and medicines and consumables are expected to arrive within two weeks."

"A new policy has been implemented under which the tender company will maintain a six-month buffer stock to prevent such shortages in the future. Of this stock, a three-month supply will be stored within the hospital and a sub-store is being set up in the emergency department to ensure 24/7 availability of critical items.," he added.

Dr Ankit Kumar, president of the JDA, said, "We are demanding full-time functional stores in every department, written accountability from store in-charges, and an end to private purchase dependency. Moreover, a private emergency cabin must be made available for the healthcare staff, and sufficient multi-purpose workers should be deployed for smooth patient transfer."