IMPHAL, September 7: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today said that the ongoing infrastructure construction at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences should be complete by this year-end. “The hospital should be ready before a team of the Indian Medical Council comes on an official visit to the State,” he said.
The Chief Minister accompanied by the Works minister Kh Ratankumar Singh and Health minister Phungzathang Tonsing inspected the ongoing construction work at JNIMS auditorium, college blocks, OPD block, Gynaecology ward, ladies hostel, etc. today.
He instructed the contractors working on the college block to complete the construction works within September and October.
The contractors were instructed to increase more labourers if needed to meet the deadline.
He rebuked that he got information of the contractors bringing in more labourers immediately before his arrival on getting information beforehand of today’s official inspection.
There is no financial crunch if the work is properly completed and fund will be released for work well done, but the works must be completed within the set deadline, the Chief Minister told the contractors.
The deadline has already been fixed by the Indian Medical Council and they will be coming for inspection, he said before strictly instructing the contractors to complete the work well in time.
He further directed the concerned contractors to repair the old OPD portion without dismantling the rooms and further suggested shifting the casualty ward to the ICTTU building of the Medical block while the repairing works is underway.
The Chief Minister and his team also interacted with the nurses and doctors on duty at the Gynaecology ward and asked about their problems.
He was told by the staff that since the appointment of a professor in the ward, the number of child deliveries has increased creating lack of beds and nurses.
In the Gynaecology ward there are at least 150 delivery patients, which have exposed the insufficient numbers of duty nurses working 24×7, they told the Chief Minister.
They further appealed to the Chief Minister to strengthen the number of staff at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Ibobi also expressed concern over the condition of the toilets in the Gynaecology ward and said the sweepers are recruited to keep the toilets clean and hygienic and they cannot remain sitting like officers.
He further expressed that the attendance registers will be checked to see their attendance.
Considering the condition of the toilets it is better to keep the sweepers on contract basis, he declared.
Ibobi also discussed with his team and the staff as to whether keeping someone to monitor the attendance of the doctors and nurses or to install bio-metric attendance recorders in the hospital would be more to the purpose.
He instructed the concerned officials to shift the Ayush department from the JNIMS old building and to dismantle the building.
As for the Ayush department, it could be shifted to the Urban Health Centre at Singjamei, the Chief Minister directed.
After shifting the department, the building leaving aside the TB portion should be dismantled, he continued.
Doctors should not be involved in the contract work of the said dismantling work instead they should be more sincere in carrying out their duties, he said.
The contract for the dismantling work should go to a proper agency, he continued.
The Chief Minister also inspected the lifts with defects and told all concerned to fix the defects.
Such problems should be fixed at the earliest and not left unattended to cause more hardships for the patients, the Chief Minister asserted.
He further questioned the PHED officials regarding the insufficient water supply in JNIMS and said water and power supply in the hospital should be properly maintained.