THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj Jan 9: The frontage of Medininagar Medical College in Pokhraha left Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Health, Ajoy Kumar Singh, puzzled during his inspection of the medical college and the hospital in Daltonganj, located 7 kilometres apart.
Confusion over medical college frontage
Known for his approachable demeanour, Ajoy Kumar Singh found himself straining his neck to read the inscription on the college’s frontage.
He asked “The frontage is like a backyard. How is it? One has to come from the front to see this college behind.”
To clarify his doubts, Ajoy Kumar Singh jokingly inquired if there was any Vastu-related reason behind the placement, but no official could confirm this. The Additional Chief Secretary emphasized the need for a more direct approach to both the medical college and the hospital.
He then turned to City Commissioner Md. Jawed Husaain, asking whether the corporation could allocate space for the upcoming 500-bed hospital. The City Commissioner promptly affirmed that there would indeed be space available.
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Focus on doctors and efficient use of space
Although the Additional Chief Secretary of Health inquired about the infrastructure being developed on the medical college campus, he made a bold statement, “It’s not the buildings that matter; it’s the doctors who are most important in healthcare.”
The Additional Chief Secretary of Health demonstrated his engineering insight when he pointed out to the construction agency how a large amount of space was being wasted for visitors and inquiry counters. Throughout his inspection of the medical college, he continued to move actively, preferring not to sit for lengthy discussions.
Afterwards, he proceeded to the hospital in Daltonganj, where he visited the new Women and Children’s Hospital. There, he attempted to operate the health information kiosk, but was unable to, as some software had yet to be installed, as noted by Medical Superintendent Dr. Dharmendra Kumar.
Too many walls in the campus of the hospital made the ACS to ask Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan accompanying him to ‘demolish them to facilitate a safe and easy passage of the patients and the attendants.’
No interaction with students amid faculty shortages
During his visit, the medicos were in their classrooms, preventing any direct interaction with the Additional Chief Secretary of Health. Had they been available, they could have shared their firsthand experiences of the challenges they face, particularly the shortage of faculty, which forces them to rely on YouTube for study materials.
The medical college officials did not show the ACS the auditorium, which has been incomplete since 2019.
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Construction agency warned
Additionally, the construction agency was reprimanded for delaying the completion of the 500-bed hospital over the past six years. The ACS warned that starting this August, a penalty of 2 percent per month would be imposed, doubling each subsequent month (4 percent in September, 6 percent in October, etc.).
The ACS also emphasized that private specialist doctors can now work in government hospitals, citing the example of Sadar Hospital in Ranchi.
He expressed the need for a Cath Lab at MMCH Daltonganj to benefit heart patients, and called for the establishment of oncology and neurology units at the hospital.
