The IIT Kharagpur Lecturers Affiliation (IITTA) has expressed reservation over the choice of the institute authorities to shift most healthcare services positioned inside the campus to the brand new Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Superspeciality Hospital (SPMSH) far away.
The spokesperson of IIT Kharagpur stated on Sunday, the transfer is geared toward offering extra specialised remedy to each the within and out of doors group with enhanced infrastructural help. ((HT PHOTO)
The institute administration argued that the transfer was geared toward optimally utilising the capability of each the hospital together with state-of-the-art infrastructure and fashionable healthcare services for sufferers.
Flagging the problem first, IITTA stated in a letter to the authorities on Saturday that any such shifting will inconvenience campus fraternity together with college students to an ideal extent and requested or not it’s revoked.
Citing the December 12 notification, the affiliation stated within the letter, “the institute administration has ordered the shifting of major staff and infrastructure of Dr B C Roy Technology Hospital (BCRTH) on campus to the new SPMSH, located at a distance outside the campus in Balarampur four km away.”
“Only emergency primary care and the pharmacy will continue to remain functional at BCRTH. As this shift is going to be a major disruption for the campus community including the students, we are appalled that none of the recognised bodies representing teachers, staff, officers or students have ever been consulted, although there exists a committee called ‘Hospital Management Committee’ that includes representation of all these stakeholders,” the letter stated.
The spokesperson of IIT Kharagpur stated on Sunday, the transfer is geared toward offering extra specialised remedy to each the within and out of doors group with enhanced infrastructural help.
“To meet the rising challenges of medical facilities in the neighbourhood community, this decision has been taken. The OPD has started functioning from January 2021. The new hospital is designed and constructed with the capacity of 400 beds and initially, it will start with 250 beds and the rest will be developed in phases. The other services and utilities will also be developed in phases,” the institute stated in a press release.
The assertion stated the IPD (inpatient division) and OPD (outpatients division) will actively help the group with OT companies together with autoclave machine and an operation theatre desk.
“The SPMSH and the BCRTH will coexist with each other. BCRTH will function as a primary healthcare hospital with 24X7 ambulance facility, blood testing and x-ray. Emergency primary care by nursing assistant and doctors will be made functionally available at BCRTH 24X7,” the spokesperson assured.
“The staff and infrastructure at BCRTH will be relocated to SPMSH as per the directives of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The terms and conditions of employment as outlined in the respective appointment letters of the staff of BCRTH being reallocated to SPMSH will remain unchanged including salary and other benefits. The employees of both the units apart from doctors and nurses can be posted in either of any units as per the institute rules and regulations. The new hospital will be facilitated with the latest medical accessories,” the institute stated.
Requested concerning the apprehensions voiced by the academics’ physique, the spokesperson stated school, college students and employees members will probably be slightly profit from these specialised companies offered by the federal government of India catering to the wants of all neighbouring group together with IIT KGP group.
“This set-up will not hamper the community life of the institute. The new hospital, equipped with better medical facilities, is restructured to cater to the larger needs of the growing KGP community. It may be mentioned that majority of the critical cases have been referred to Kolkata for the last 20 years or so including even basic surgery. Now, they can be treated here itself with more specialized and expert doctors,” the institute stated.
In regards to the argument that the SPMSH is way away from BCRTH, the institute stated it’s “barely two and a half km with secured campus boundary. The institute has appointed dedicated campus conveyance (e rickshaw) for intermediate travel between the hospitals 24X7.
“In actual fact, the journey bills concerning the identical will probably be borne by the institute,” the spokesperson said.
The IITTA, however, called for a “thorough dialogue” and taking advice from a larger cross-section of campus community and the students as well as the retired pensioners living outside the periphery of the campus.
Referring to the fact that the institute is “going to get a brand new incumbent Director from January 1, 2025,” the teachers’ body said “we marvel what’s the massive hurry to execute the proposed shifting on December 24, precisely per week earlier than the expiry of the tenure of the current Director? Why can’t all of us have a extra thorough dialogue with the subsequent Director earlier than such a giant transfer is executed?”