In a significant move to enhance public healthcare infrastructure, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has substantially upgraded its Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH). The civic body has successfully recruited new medical and support staff and added beds to meet regulatory requirements and improve patient care.
Major Staffing Boost to Meet NMC Directives
The expansion is a direct response to directives from the National Medical Commission (NMC), which had mandated the addition of 100 beds to the hospital. This was necessary to satisfy norms for its affiliation with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College. A key hurdle in this process was the municipal corporation's previous struggle to attract specialist doctors due to comparatively low pay scales.
This challenge was overcome after the PMC's standing committee approved an enhanced monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakh for specialist doctors. This decision yielded immediate positive results, leading to the appointment of 25 specialists. Deputy Health Officer Kalpana Baliwant confirmed that 17 of these newly appointed doctors joined their duties on December 17.
To ensure focused and better healthcare services, these doctors will work exclusively from Kamala Nehru Hospital and will not be shared with the affiliated medical college.
Reducing Dependency on Sassoon General Hospital
A primary objective of this operational overhaul is to reduce KNH's dependency on Sassoon General Hospital for critical cases. This need was highlighted in October when the head of the paediatric department at Sassoon raised concerns over the high rate of referrals from KNH.
Addressing this critical gap, the hospital administration has taken concrete steps. "We have hired specialist doctors, including paediatricians," stated Baliwant. Furthermore, to enhance critical care capabilities, ventilators are being moved from Rajiv Gandhi Hospital to Kamala Nehru Hospital.
This transfer of equipment will allow the hospital to equip six paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) beds. Officials expect this development to significantly reduce the need to refer complicated paediatric cases to Sassoon, ensuring faster and more efficient treatment within the PMC system itself.
Addressing Past Criticisms for a Better Future
The comprehensive upgrade comes after Kamala Nehru Hospital faced repeated criticism from the NMC on several fronts. The commission had flagged issues such as manpower shortages, the absence of a government-run ICU, problems within the paediatric unit, and general hygiene concerns.
The current recruitment drive tackles these problems head-on. Alongside the 17 specialist doctors, the hospital has onboarded 50 new nurses and 60 sanitation workers. The induction of a large contingent of sanitation staff is specifically aimed at addressing the hygiene complaints and improving the overall patient environment.
With this additional manpower catering to the 100 new beds, officials are confident of streamlining treatment and substantially improving the quality of care. "The additional staffers will cater to 100 additional beds and streamline treatment, ensuring patients receive quality care within the PMC system," Baliwant added, underscoring the project's goal of creating a more robust and self-sufficient public healthcare facility for Pune's citizens.
