THE revamping work of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital that did not move an inch between 2019 and 2022, got a boost in the last two years and is on the verge of completion. Now this problem has been resolved. New admin building will be functional by next month. The project was initially started in 2019 with the sanction of Rs 77 crore. Unfortunately, it could not take off as the next Government had stalled major projects started by the previous Government. The reasons for the delay can be attributed to redtapism or the other regime’s neglectandprocrastinatedapproach. IGGMCH had to wait for 2022 when the new Government came and the project again got a boost. ThenewGovernmentprovidedRs 395crore fortherevampofIGGMCH,whichincludes500-bedmedicine building and a new administrative building- groundplus six floors.

 

The Dean office was in a dilapidated condition for many years and nobody had thought of anewadministrativebuildingearlier. This new building houses all themajorofficesofvariousdepartments and lecture halls. It fulfills the norms of National Medical Commission (NMC) (erstwhile Medical Council of India) that is going to help the students immensely. Because of the technical and structural deficiencies, the NMCtakes someaction which may negatively affect the college. UnderDrMakarandVyawahare, the Department of Forensic Medicinehasimprovedwithstateof-the art facilities. According to Dr Vyawahare, the upgradation was much needed in the interest of students as well as society. This department plays an important roleinthecrimeinvestigationtoo. The new equipment installedinthisdepartment would help the police department to crack the crimes, said Dr Vyawahare. Withthe fundingofRs395 crore, IGGMCH had received some funds for its 500-bedded hospital complex. Its proposal was also sentin2019butithad some deficiencies which were later removed. This issue was pushed by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2022 and IGGMCHadministrationsentthe same in September 2022 seeking approvalwhichwasaccorded.

 

This will surely add to the healthcare facilities at IGGMCH. Dr Ravi Chavan, who has been pushing this project for a long time,told‘TheHitavada’thatthere are some buildings of the British era in IGGMCH premises that are quite old. Hence, the administration had conducted a structural audit of such buildings by VisvesvarayaNationalInstituteof Technology (VNIT). As per the audit conducted by VNIT, Ward number 3,4,7 and 8 of Medicine and Paediatrics come under Damage Class ‘4’ and therefore are notinusenow.Similarly,Ward number 10, 11 and 12 of TB too are in an unsound condition. As administration stopped using all these wards, the capacity of paediatrics, medicine and TB came downdrastically.Mostofthe old buildings in the premises are in Damage Class ‘4’ and the patients will suffer if these wards stop functioning. If the standard guidelines of the National Medical Commission (NMC) are applied then the number of beds are disproportionatelyless for200 students.“Nowtheriseinthenumberofbedswilldefinitelyhelpus”, he informed. The medicine building will be 11floorshighandthecostinvolved initisRs145.54 crore.Itwillhouse the Department of Medicine, Department of Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Skin, Paediatrics and TB. It has a minor Operation Theatre, emergency OT, blood bank,Intensive Care Unit(ICU) of 30 beds, Medical ICU of 30 beds, Neonatal ICU of 20 beds, Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, geriatric ward of 30 beds. This proposal has given due importance to the department of skinandpsychiatry toowhichwill have one unit each initially.