KAKINADA: Delays on the part of Telematic and Biomedical Services (TBS), the private company entrusted with the task of repairing and maintaining medical devices in government hospitals, are affecting patients adversely. Key devices — 943 of them — belonging to teaching, district and area hospitals across 13 districts are out of order. And the scarcity of analysers, microscopes and pulse oxymeters is posing threat to the lives of patients.
Prior to 2017, hospital authorities used to engage biomedical engineers to make instant repairs, and spare parts were purchased using Hospital Development Society funds.The state government’s decision to enter into a contract with TBS has created confusion as the responsibility of maintaining equipment received by government hospitals through donations was earlier done by the donors themselves.
A few machines donated to the Kakinada Government General Hospital by Coromandel Fertilizers, Rotary and Lions Club remain dysfunctional as neither the staff of TBS nor hospital authorities have clarity on who should repair the devices, said hospital CSRMO Dr. TSR Murthy.
A C-Pap machine donated by Coromandel Fertilizers Company in 2015 caused panic in the hospital on Monday after it began emanating smoke, but hospital authorities are in a fix over whom to approach for repairs. The brunt of the indecisiveness is being borne by the mothers and newborns of the gynaecology and pediatric wards in the hospital.Several doctors TNIE spoke to said they feared the arrangement could lead to large-scale corruption.
No records maintained
The Kakinada GGH administration could not provide TNIE records of the number of devices that are fully functional in the hospital as it hasn’t maintained records of instruments that have been sent for repair.