Latest news with #EknathPawar
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
5 years on, Sassoon hospital awaits approval for additional beds at 11-storey building
Pune: Five years since admission to patients began in the 11-storey building at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital (BJMC & SGH), approval for 504 additional beds is awaiting official approval from the state's medical education and drugs department (MEDD). The building houses the paediatric, pulmonary, orthopaedic and radiology departments. It has affected recruitment of staff to handle these additional patients and funds needed to buy medicines and consumables, officials at the BJMC & SGH said. They added that once the file is approved by MEDD, it will be sent to the state finance department for final approval. The building was planned in 2009 after the swine flu epidemic but took 11 years to construct. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the building was thrown open on an urgent basis to admit serious patients. Dr Eknath Pawar, dean at BJMC & SGH, said, "As of now we are working at 66% of staff strength at the hospital and medical college. For the hospital's old buildings, we have an approval for 1,296 beds and for that we have an approved staff strength of 3,091." As per the information obtained from the hospital, of the 2,359 approved posts for class 1-4 employees at the old buildings, only 1,565 are filled and 794 are vacant. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Of the 732 approved posts for BJ Medical College, 424 are filled and 308 are vacant. Dr Pawar said, "We had in 2022 sent a proposal seeking approval for 504 beds at the 11-storey building and also the staff required for those beds. We are yet to get a response on it. About the vacancies in the approved posts, we have already issued a tender to fill in the class four posts and in the next two months, 350 workers will be recruited. For class 1 and 2 posts, recruitment process is under way via the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. " The acute shortage of staff gravely affects patient services. Maya Jagtap, who has her relative admitted at the 11-storey building's orthopedic department ward, said, "Often there are no nurses or class 4 workers available to take the patient from the ward to the radiology department for scans. We have to be near the building all the time so that we can help our kin." Hasan Mushrif, minister of medical education, said, "I will look into it and if the approval is pending at our level, I will get it done in one week. I will immediately follow up on the proposal with the secretary of MEDD." Dheeraj Kumar, secretary, MEDD, could not be contacted for his comment despite several attempts. Rajiv Nivatkar, commissioner, MEDD, said, "I am out of town now; I will get back when I have information." City-based health activist and an alumnus of BJ Medical College, Dr Sanjay Dabhade, said that first it took 11 years for the 11-storey building to be constructed and then it was opened only when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and now govt is delaying approving the beds. "The hospital is always struggling to manage the existing patient load but with additional patients coming in, it will soon reach a breaking point. Why should it take five years to approve the beds which are already in use? This hospital is not only the hope for serious patients who come from different districts of Maharashtra but also for many homeless and poor people. Without enough staff, patient services are hampered gravely and there would be constant conflict between patients and healthcare workers. State govt must immediately approve these beds and the staff required," he said.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Sassoon Hospital dean's year-long push to solve staff crunch, improve campus cleanliness
Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean of B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, who completes a year in the post on June 19, said that despite the vacancies, a slew of measures are in place to ensure patient care and deliver quality services at Maharashtra's largest government-run hospital. According to a Right to Information (RTI) application by The Indian Express, the hospital in Pune has been reeling under a severe manpower shortage, with half of the 843 sanctioned Class IV posts lying vacant in addition to the shortage of non-technical staff and medical professionals. There are 118 vacant posts for doctors, while the B J Government Medical College, attached to the Sassoon General Hospital, has 18 posts of Associate Professors and 27 Assistant Professor posts lying vacant. 'The staff shortage is being addressed. During my tenure of a year, several efforts have been taken, and we have filled up a fair share of vacancies. As part of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment process, interviews are being scheduled, and we have urged them to fast-track the process,' Dr Pawar told The Indian Express on Tuesday. The RTI data shows that 918 of the 1,108 permanent posts of nurses have been filled. However, 416 posts of Class IV employees remain vacant. 'At the local level, through the District Collector's office, some technical staff can be hired, and even cleanliness services are being outsourced,' Dr Pawar said, adding that an advertisement will be issued to fill Class IV posts soon. Dr Pawar agreed that some gaps are likely to occur owing to the huge size of the institution. However, he said, the team actively conducts surprise inspections and takes random photographs to ensure cleanliness. 'While it is a time-consuming process, since I joined, I have held several meetings and, together with the team, carried out routine inspections across all areas of the hospital. We have also trained our staff to respond promptly and effectively to complaints,' Dr Pawar said. During his period, several boards were displayed to direct the patients to the respective departments and OPDs for specialised and routine treatment. Benches have been provided so that patients can be comfortable at the OPD, he added. Security agencies have also been instructed to inform the staff to address patients politely, he mentioned. The hospital authorities have initiated efforts to ensure an adequate stock of medicines. 'The District Planning Development Committee (DPDC) has approved Rs 6 crore towards ensuring an adequate availability of medicines. No patient will be told to purchase medicines from outside,' Dr Pawar said. Patients of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) who required expensive medicines were treated free of cost, he added. Focus on transparency As part of a scheme, children of deceased employees (Class IV) can be recruited at the hospital. A committee that looks into such matters has noted that there are karyakartas who recommend appointments for the children who fall into the category. 'However, in some cases, these karyakartas mislead the candidates by falsely claiming that the process would take time, using this as an opportunity to demand money. We have put a stop to this practice and have already issued over 30 appointment orders for the sons of deceased employees,' Dr Pawar said. 'At times, I used to receive numerous calls from karyakartas wanting to discuss various issues. I began asking whether the matter was urgent or if it could be addressed at a more appropriate time. As a result, the late-night calls — sometimes continuing until 1 am — have now stopped. I have made it clear that non-essential calls will not be entertained after 9 pm,' he said. Beautification measures, heritage building restoration The campus beautification work has been taken up on a large scale with parts of the main building being painted in a striking white and gold colour scheme. As per a notification, a board also displays the official change in the name from B J Medical College to B J Government Medical College. According to Dr Pawar, 50 per cent of the renovation work at the OPD has been completed. The David Sassoon and Jacob Sassoon buildings on the campus are being restored to bring back their original glory, and according to Dr Pawar, the first phase of restoration has been completed. 'We are now planning a fully air-conditioned Central Library on the ground floor, Medical Research Unit, and Medical Education Unit, mainly for the training of faculty and resident doctors,' Dr Pawar said. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
RTI data shows staffing gaps: 50 per cent of Class IV posts vacant, over 100 doctor positions unfilled at Sassoon Hospital
A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by The Indian Express shows that half of the 843 sanctioned Class IV posts at Sassoon General Hospital, Pune – Maharashtra's largest government-run tertiary care facility – have been vacant for several years. In addition to the non-technical staff crunch, the hospital has also had to deal with a shortfall in medical professionals. There are 118 vacant posts for doctors, as per RTI data. Patient load The 1,296-bed facility has an increasing patient load, and approximately 2,000 patients visit the outpatient departments daily for medical treatment. Additional workload during the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated an increase in bed capacity. However, there has been a delay in filling up corresponding staff vacancies. Presently, there is a requirement for 190 nurses. As per RTI data, there are 1,108 permanent posts of nurses, of which 918 have been filled. There are 834 Class IV posts, of which 416 are lying vacant. Of the 301 permanent sanctioned posts of doctors, a total of 183 have been filled, while 118 are lying vacant. Data shows that of the 18 permanent posts of X-ray technicians, a total of five are vacant, while there is a need for four more healthcare professionals to operate the computed tomography (CT) scanners. This is a long-pending issue, and over the years, the government hospital has faced numerous challenges to ensure quality patient care, improve infrastructure, and maintain effective administration. Long queues are a routine sight at the X-ray department, where most patients are subjected to an entire day's waiting period to get an ultrasound scan. Several concerns have been flagged over the years about the hospital's sanitation and cleanliness, and the condition of wards and outpatient departments has attracted significant criticism. As per RTI data at the B J Government Medical College, a total of 18 posts of associate professors and 27 assistant professor posts are yet to be filled. Too little While efforts are being taken to address the requirements of some of the short-staffed departments, as per the data, the post of professor at the biochemistry and orthopaedic department is vacant. At the anatomy department, three posts of assistant professors are vacant, while one associate professor post is yet to be filled. The physiology department requires four more assistant professors. Presently, three posts have been filled. As many as 10 posts of assistant professors are lying vacant at the medicine department, while five assistant professor posts and two associate professor posts are yet to be filled at the surgery department. 'Fewer faculty often can impact the focus on research activities and publications that are important for the institution's reputation,' an expert said. When contacted, Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean, B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, told The Indian Express that the staff shortage is being addressed. 'As part of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment process, interviews are being scheduled, and we have urged them to fast-track the process. At the local level, through the district collector's office, recruitments can also be done, and we are looking into that. Cleanliness services are being outsourced,' Dr Pawar said. 'An advertisement will be issued and we hope to fill Class IV posts soon,' he added. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
No relief for 3 Pune's BJMC PG students accused of ragging 4 junior resident doctors
In a firm stance against ragging in medical institutions, the Maharashtra Medical Education Department has upheld the six-month suspension of three second-year postgraduate (PG) students from B J Medical College (BJMC), Pune. The trio have been accused of ragging four junior resident doctors, prompting immediate disciplinary action by the college authorities, said officials. According to officials, BJMC on Tuesday formally issued suspension orders to the trio, reconfirming the action. The BJMC anti-ragging committee last month conducted a detailed inquiry into the alleged ragging. The three postgraduate doctors with the orthopaedic department were suspended and the proposal for the same was subsequently sent to the state medical education department for final approval. Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of BJMC and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH), said that the medical education department has upheld their decision to suspend the three PG students. 'A letter regarding the same was received on Monday. Following this, a subsequent suspension order has been issued by us,' he said. According to officials, a complaint was received by the college on April 28, 2025 regarding four junior doctors being allegedly ragged by the three second-year PG students of the orthopaedic department. The parent of one of the junior doctors who was ragged also filed a complaint with the National Medical Council (NMC), accusing the senior doctors of mental harassment and verbal and physical abuse. According to the parents of the victims, the latter had also filed complaints alleging verbal abuse and physical assault. They even submitted audio recordings as evidence but this was not mentioned in the report and as a result, no FIR has been registered against the accused (they have only been suspended for six months). In reality, an FIR should have been filed against them, they said. Furthermore, the parent also claimed that to protect the image of the college, the report does not mention any verbal abuse and assault by the accused doctors. No action has been taken under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act. There have also been repeated complaints from poor patients alleging that the same doctors abused and assaulted them in the absence of their relatives. Dr Pawar said that the three students have been suspended and will continue to remain suspended for the entire six months. During this period of suspension, they have been prohibited from participating in medical conferences. They cannot represent BJMC at any medical conference. All three have to pay a fine of ₹1 lakh and have been expelled from the hostel for the period of suspension. Besides, they have been prohibited from entering the hostel and college premises during the suspension period, he said.
