VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) director CV Rao said that the state government had agreed to make the VIMS an autonomous body to provide better facilities for patients. He was addressing media here at the VIMS campus on Saturday.
Rao said that after the state government had agreed for autonomy, they have constituted a body which will be chaired by the Principal Secretary, Health, Poonam Malakondaiah and will also have district collector Pravin Kumar, CEO of NTR Vaidya Seva Ravishankar and vice-chancellor of NTR Health University Ravi Raju as members.
According to the director, the basic idea to run the hospital on the lines of other autonomous hospitals like NIMS is to provide better facilities.
“The VIMS would provide free treatment to the needy and collect the fee from those who can afford to pay. The charges will be 50 per cent of what the normal hospitals collect. The VIMS will have its own funds for development and also its steady source of revenue.”
The director also said that the VIMS would be also launching a number of super speciality services by March under the Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva facilities.
He said that the super specialities include general surgery, plastic surgery, critical care, general medicine, orthopaedics, genito urinary surgeries, neuro surgery, nephrology, endocrinology and gastroenterology.
Besides, initially the VIMS will also launch 24-hour trauma care service and out-patient service for super specialities by mid-January, he said.
The government has released `115 crore till date, of which `80 crore was spent on buildings and `35 crore on equipment. Rao also mentioned that he had sent a request to the government to allot `50 crore more.
Currently, the VIMS is equipped with 15 operation theatres and 50 beds. The authorities expect to add 100 more beds by March-end.