SAMBALPUR: Authorities of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla have come under criticism for their decision to return 40 new ventilators due to space crunch on the healthcare facility’s premises.
A PG final year student of VIMSAR Sanjeev Mishra said two new buildings have recently come upon the premises of the hospital and the ventilators could have been kept there.
Terming the authorities’ decision to return the ventilators as disappointing, he said the students will draw the attention of the Health and Family Welfare Minister to the matter.
However, a senior doctor of the hospital said since work on the super-speciality block has not been completed, it was not justified to receive the ventilators which would not have been put to use.
He said the vendors will supply the equipment whenever needed.
Dean of VIMSAR Brajamohan Mishra claimed that the ventilators were not returned. He said the vendors returned it due to delay in unloading.
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“We had written to HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd not to send the consignment to VIMSAR for the time being as we are struggling for space. However, despite our request, they sent the consignment of ventilators without giving us any prior information. Since the consignment had already arrived, we asked the vendors to wait for two days so that we would arrange for space and receive the machines. But they returned without informing us,” Mishra said.
A super-speciality block is being constructed on the premises of the healthcare facility under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakshya Yojana (PMSSY).
As part of the project, HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd has been assigned the task of supplying medical equipment for the block.