Srinagar, May 20: Admitting lack of facilities and medical staff led to the alarmingly high infant deaths at GB Pant Hospital here, the Union Health Minister for Health, Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday directed immediate recruitment of doctors and nurses there on adhoc basis till full-time arrangements were made.
 “There is no need to wait for Public Service Commission (PSC) to fill up the posts. I have directed the authorities concerned (state health and medical education department) to conduct walk-in interviews for doctors and nurses,” he said.
 Azad was talking to reporters after visiting the lone pediatric hospital in the Valley following the public outcry over 378 infant deaths there since January this year. He was accompanied by the Minister for Medical Education RS Chib.
 Azad said the state government should adopt this procedure of recruitment in other districts of the state as well, in case of need.
 As part of measures to bring down the high infant mortality rate, he announced that patients up to the age of one month will be provided all medicines free of cost at the hospital.
 He said the Centre has already released Rs 62 crore to the state on this account but the centrally-sponsored scheme has not been implemented here so far.
 “I have directed the doctors that this scheme should be implemented from tomorrow. If any infant up to the age of one month has to get any (clinical) test done outside, the hospital will bear the expenses,” he said.
 Noting that there was lack of cleanliness in the hospital, he issued instructions to officers concerned to ensure proper hygiene inside the hospital.
 “There is definitely the lack of infrastructure like medicines, equipments that make the situation alarming,” Azad said.
 The Union Minister said most of the patients coming to the hospital belong to far-flung areas. “They come with various severities and till they reach here their condition deteriorates and they die,” Azad said.
 Azad laid stress on the access control of attendants in the wards. “The restriction on number of attendants will help in ensuring cleanliness and checking infection in the hospital,” he said.
 Earlier, Azad went round the wards, interacted with the attendants and enquired about the facilities being provided to them.
 The Minister also chaired a meeting of officers and doctors to get the first hand appraisal of the functioning of the institution.
 The meeting was attended by the Secretary, Health and Medical Education,
 MK Dwevidi, Principal, GMC, Dr Qazi Masood, Medical Superintendent GB Pant hospital, Dr Muneer Masoodi besides senior doctors of the hospital.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 IST