MADURAI: Six months after Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) was caught in the eye of a storm due to alleged malfunction of ventilators that reportedly led to deaths of three patients who were on life support, the hospital has now received 18 new ventilators which are being installed at various Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The installation process is going on for the last 10 days.
In an order dated August 21, Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) sanctioned the installation of 81 new ventilators (with compressors) in various government hospitals across the State at a cost of `6.54 crore.
Accordingly, GRH was allotted 16 ventilators, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai was allotted 24 ventilators, Chengalpet Medical College Hospital 15 and Coimbatore Medical College Hospital two new ventilators. In a subsequent order by TNMSC, GRH was sanctioned two additional ventilators besides the 16 equipment.
On November 5, GRH received 18 new ventilators and they are being installed at the hospital’s ICUs. Of them, 11 were installed at the Trauma Care Centre (TCC) block (six at ward number 99 and five at ward number 101) and one at ICU in the department of Surgical Oncology. "The remaining six ventilators will be installed at the ICUs of a few other departments in the coming days," said hospital sources.
“Usually, the hospital receives two or three ventilators at a time, based on its need. This time, 18 ventilators were directly sanctioned to strengthen TAEI programme,” they added.