MADURAI: Setting the alarm bells ringing, data obtained via Right to Information (RTI) Act have revealed the number of paediatric deaths in the four years, starting 2018, at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) was higher than that recorded at Institute of Child Health and Hospital (ICH) at Egmore in Chennai.
Citing the need for upgrading the paediatric department by equipping it with advanced equipment and increased number of faculty, activist A Veronica Mary pointed out that the paediatric department of GRH reported 137 more child deaths than ICH in the period.
Through the RTI reply, Mary obtained data such as number of inpatients, surgeries, faculties, patient casualties, insurance coverage, types of surgeries for the 46-month period from January 2018 till October 2021 at the Madurai GRH and Chennai ICH.
She said while 227 types of surgeries are performed at ICH, only 86 types of surgeries are done at GRH (which is 141 surgeries less). "It is because the Chennai hospital is equipped with four-times more sophisticated equipment. Similarly, GRH has just six faculties while 16 faculties are there in the Chennai hospital," she said.
As patients from faraway districts are required to travel to Chennai for advanced treatment, the need to upgrade GRH on par with ICH arises, Mary said. Besides, the insurance coverage is also less at GRH, indicating inadequate funds for the development of the department, she added.
Recalling that the Rs 100-crore project sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu government five years ago for upgrading the paediatric department at GRH was brushed under the carpet, the activist sought to elevate the status of the paediatric department at GRH by improving the infrastructure.