Kolkata: Enhancing patient care services, rooting out touts from the campus, restricting patient referral, and improving overall cleanliness and hygiene inside wards as well as on the campus were among the topics discussed at a Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) meeting convened by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state-run SSKM Hospital on Thursday evening.
Second Visit to SSKM
This was Adhikari's second visit to SSKM Hospital after assuming office as Bengal's chief minister. His first visit occurred on May 15, when he held a brainstorming session with principals and medical superintendents of medical colleges in Kolkata to improve healthcare services and academic activities at the institutes.
Key Issues Discussed
The Thursday meeting specifically addressed issues pertaining to SSKM Hospital, which sees the highest patient footfall among all government health facilities in the state, according to an official. "Improving patient facilities, enhancing medical care, achieving zero-refusal, creating a tout-free campus, strengthening the emergency unit, and keeping the hospital clean were among the key issues discussed during the meeting, which lasted around an hour," the official said.
Attendees
Apart from the SSKM director, the institute's medical superintendent, student representatives, and principal health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam attended the RKS meeting. Other medical colleges and teaching institutes, such as ID Hospital Beleghata, have already held their RKS meetings after the new government was formed, with local MLAs in attendance. Adhikari is the MLA of Bhowanipore, under which SSKM Hospital falls. "It was like any other RKS meeting. The only difference was that the CM was part of it. With the chief minister's involvement, we are hopeful for more development in terms of infrastructure and equipment at this institute," said an insider.
Patient Footfall and Grievances
SSKM receives a daily average footfall of around 10,000 patients at its outpatient departments. As the busiest state medical institute with a high number of specialties, patient grievances are also high given the patient load. Common complaints include patient refusal, touts fleecing patients on the pretext of ensuring a bed, and long waiting times for investigative tests.
Unique Services
IPGMER is the only government institute in Bengal that conducts heart and liver transplant surgeries, in addition to other regular and routine surgeries. It also houses the largest and the state's only level-one trauma care unit. SSKM has expanded its services through annex units such as Shambhunath Pandit Hospital and Kolkata Police Hospital. The hospital also operates 'Ananyo', a second unit of the Woodburn ward exclusively for private patients.
Development Projects
Hospital insiders said Adhikari indicated that all development projects, including the Cancer Care Hub, would continue uninterrupted. "With the same government at the Centre and the state, we are hopeful that central aid will be implemented without any hassles, which in turn will help improve patient care services," said a senior faculty member.
