Bed strength in govt hospitals to go up

Vijayawada: At last, the government general hospitals and teaching hospitals in the state will acquire better facilities in their maternity wards. The AP government has decided to provide additional 570 beds (19 units) in the government teaching hospitals besides recruiting enough number of doctors and paramedical staff. 

The government has identified the urgent need for increasing beds and improving medical infrastructure as a number of women patients are suffering due to shortage of beds, infrastructure facilities, including operation theatres, doctors and paramedical staff.

In cities like Vijayawada, women patients share beds in the old Government General Hospital. Similar is the situation in other hospitals too. In this backdrop, the government issued a GOMs No 202 sanctioning 570 beds in the government hospitals and teaching hospitals.  

The Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, Kurnool Medical College, Guntur Medical College, Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, will get 90 beds each while the Government Medical College and SV Medical College will get 60 beds each. Andhra Medical College (King George Hospital) and (Victoria Hospital) Visakhapatnam will get 30 beds each.

The government has also decided to recruit 19 professors, 19 associate professors, 38 assistant professors, 57 head nurses and 133 staff nurses in these hospitals. Besides, 72 MNOs and 75 FNOs will be recruited on outsourcing basis.

As of now, the government general hospitals and teaching hospitals in the state have only 1,170 beds. Kadapa, Anantapur, Srikakulam and Prakasam districts have only two units with 60 beds. Kakinada, Vijayawada and Guntur have three units with only 90 beds. But, unofficially the hospital staff are arranging extra beds to serve the patients. Compared to the other cities, Vizag and Tirupati cities have better facilities with 210 beds each.   

A senior official of the Medical Education Department said most of the government general hospitals and teaching hospitals have facilities for creation of additional beds. A new building is under construction in Vijayawada at the Old Government Hospital for the creation of 90 additional beds.

The government sanctioned Rs 35 crore for the development of infrastructure facilities like setting up more operation theatres with surgical equipment, air conditioners and other facilities.  Government General Hospital Superintendent S Babulal said that addition 90 beds will be very usual for the patients.