The committee also stated that from 2022-23, medical schools should have an emergency department.

Release time: 06:37 AM, November 12, 2021 | Last update: 06:37 AM, November 12, 2021 | AA A-

KOCHI: Ten years have passed since the Ernakulam Medical College Hospital (MCH) was established, but it has been struggling to meet its bills due to the lack of intensive care unit (ICU) for operating rooms and emergency rooms. The hospital is located in Karamasseri, close to the industrial area, and is expected to be ready to serve a large number of patients under any circumstances. But the fact is that the facility was upgraded to a maternity and child care hospital after operating as a cooperative hospital for 12 years, and it could not even meet some of the basic requirements of the people in the area.

The regulations of the National Medical Council (NMC) insist that the emergency department of the medical school hospital enrolls 100 students every year, and there should be at least an operating room, a five-bed intensive care unit, a plaster room, and a trauma care room. The committee also stated that from 2022-23, medical schools should have an emergency department.

"Kochi International Airport, oil refinery and FACT are all located near Ernakulam MCH. In the event of mass casualties, the emergency department of the hospital does not have enough facilities to treat them. The only option is to refer the case to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital. But due to the distance of nearly 100 kilometers, many people choose nearby private hospitals," said Dr. NK Sanil Kumar, a member of the Justice VR Krishna Iyer Movement.

The absence of neurological and plastic surgeons is another cause for concern. "People who encounter major road traffic accidents often suffer head injuries. As there is no neurosurgeon, cases of cerebral hemorrhage are referred to Kottayam MCH. In cases of limb separation, amputation and severe burns, we need plastic surgeons. Although ordinary Surgeons can provide first-line treatment, but it is always good to have experts," said a hospital source.

A senior doctor at Ernakulam MCH said that in the past 15 years, all emergencies-except those requiring nerve and plastic surgery-have been taken to the operating room adjacent to the wounded. "The operating room is located on the second floor and there is a risk to bring the patient there. If the necessary equipment is in place, the patient can be operated on and stabilized in the wounded ICU. They can be transferred to the main intensive care unit later," the source Say.

Other medical colleges and hospitals in the state have emergency operating rooms with three to five operating tables. Ernakulam MCH also has two emergency operating rooms, but they are currently used as "endoscopy" rooms-to facilitate endoscopy and bronchoscopy. "These two facilities can be accommodated in the main theater complex. Currently, these two operating rooms are unavailable because they lack the necessary instruments and proper anesthesia devices. This has been the case for many years," the source added.

Trauma care According to the NMC, the wounded in the medical school should also have an all-weather trauma care room with 25 to 30 beds. This is essential for dealing with emergencies with varying degrees of trauma. In the first days, the wounded are now equipped with trauma facilities and operating rooms. "When the number of cases decreased, the space was converted into a superintendent's office," the source said. With existing facilities, only primary trauma management can be performed. The wounded small operating room is used for dressing wounds and sutures.

Even the basic departments of general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology or radiology do not have postgraduate courses in human hospitals. "In hospitals of other medical schools, the main wounded surgery is the last year of graduate students. They are the main staff in the emergency department. Nowadays, more and more trauma cases follow. Therefore, the absence of PG students has a serious impact The wounded, whether in terms of workload or patient care," the source said. The shortage of nurses and paramedics is another problem. Another source said: “The emergency department still lacks a team of nurses and paramedics trained in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS).” The lack of facilities also affects the learning of MBBS students. They are deprived of the opportunity to acquire practical knowledge.

The hospital received 15 million US dollars in funding for the wounded rehabilitation program this year. Although the authorities claimed that the project was in progress, it was reported that the floor tiles were only replaced in the name of renovation.

The Ernakulam Government Medical School enrolls 100 students every year, but its emergency department has never had an operating room and an intensive care unit. Not only does it fail to meet the standards set by the National Medical Council, but it also deprives patients of their prime time treatment rights

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