Pune: Sassoon General Hospital one of Pune’s largest healthcare facilities is dealing with a critical situation that originated during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the peak of the pandemic Sassoon General Hospital was compelled to expand its capacity to provide affordable health care for the patients by adding 500 extra beds.
The expansion was mandatory but it wasn’t sanctioned by the State Government. Consequently, the hospital staff sanctioned for 1297 beds are now grappling with a workload of nearly, 1800 beds.
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According to The Times of India, former director and Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Dr Dilip Mhasekar, highlighted the complexities involved in seeking approval for additional resources and said, “Plus, a nod will be needed for extra nurses, class IV employees, and medicines. Only then will the required funds be disbursed.”
Dr. Mhaisekar also revealed that the hospital received a recent proposal regarding the additional beds from BJ Medical College which is attached to the Sassoon Hospital. He promptly forwarded this proposal to the state health department, hoping to speed up the approval process and secure the necessary resources for the hospital.
It has a sanctioned capacity of 2,341 posts for Class I to Class IV employees, based on the original requirement for 1,297 beds. Though, only 1,717 of these posts are currently filled which leaves 624 positions, or 26%, vacant. The hospital needs at least 3241 employees in all categories to manage the extra workload. That means, the hospital stands with a vacancy of 47% and the hospital is currently working with half of the required workforce. Due to this shortage, the staff is facing a heightened workload which can not only affect their well-being but also can compromise patient care.
Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of the medical college which is affiliated with the Sassoon College Pune, said, “As of now, we are recruiting Class IV employees who are responsible for sanitation work and patient handling. We have floated tenders to hire them on a contract basis.” However, this represents a temporary solution to a more complex issue.
In addition to staffing issues, the hospital is also dealing with a severe shortage of essential medicines. This shortage is further impacting the patient care facility in the region’s biggest govt hospital.
For example, Usa Ali (36), who visited the hospital’s neurosurgery outpatient department (OPD), on 24th June faced a troubling situation when the six medicines prescribed to him were unavailable at the hospital pharmacy, located within the OPD. He further stated that he had bought those medicines from a private Pharmacy outside the hospital for Rs 350.
Another patient seeking treatment for dry and itchy skin was prescribed five medicines, but he could only obtain three from the hospital pharmacy. The prescription shows the missing items included, FSFA, a multivitamin and multi-mineral tablet, and paraffin lotion, which is a primary treatment for dry skin.
Despite the presence of three private pharmacies on the hospital premises which includes a generic medicine store and a Jan Asudh Kendra established under the Central govt program, the shortage of medicine persists.
According to the data obtained by RTI query which was filed by TOI, in the financial year of 2023-24, the hospital spent Rs 5.64 crore on medicines, the highest in the past six years. However, this figure marks a significant decrease compared to 2018-19 according to the RTI DATA. Between 2019 and 2023, expenditures on medicines did not exceed Rs 2 crore annually, except in 2021-22, when Rs 3.40 crore was spent.
The third major issue is hospitals are dealing with a lack of funds. Sassoon General Hospital receives its funds from the District Planning and Development Council and various charities, apart from funds allocated by the DMER. However, the data from the hospital shows that these funds are not enough as per the demand.
Medical Education and Research Minister Hasan Mushrif, however, has downplayed these concerns by mentioning that everything is fine at the hospital. During the assembly’s monsoon session in early July, he stated, “We have empowered the dean to purchase medicines for up to 30% of the hospital’s requirement”.
The minister has also mentioned that the DMER director met Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) officials, who had assured that all vacant posts of class I and II employees would be filled soon. He further stated, “For class III employees we have filled most of the posts while for class IV, we have asked the district collector to make the necessary appointments. So, there is not much scarcity of workforce under the medical education department.” He concluded his speech by inviting all public representatives from Pune to join him for a visit to Sassoon Hospital and observe that the facility is performing well.
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