Staff shortage leaves Kakching CHC ventilators useless
Source: Chronicle News Service
Kakching, May 18 2021:
Amid the rising demand for medical oxygen and increasing number of patients needing ventilator support in the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, the lone ventilator machine at Community Health Centre (CHC), Kakching is lying unused in the absence of required manpower.
The ventilator machine was provided to the CHC during the 1st wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
However, it has been lying unused in a locked room of the health centre till date.
Using a ventilator requires an anaesthetist, a chest medicine doctor and a general medicine specialist as well as operation theatre technician.
Three doctors and three nurses are supposed to monitor patient on ventilator round the clock.
As such, the machine is lying unused in the CHC due to lack of such manpower.
According to CMO Kakching Dr Thaodem Rajen, the CHC has only one anaesthetist but has no specialists of chest and general medicine as well as operation theatre technician.
There is acute shortage of healthcare staff in the centre.
The ventilator could be utilised only when the government sends one more anaesthetist, two specialists, one each of chest medicine & general medicine, and some operation theatre technicians and nurses, he said.
Patients on ventilator requires extra attention and using this machine without the required manpower will only put the patients' lives in danger rather than saving them, he contended.