Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 12:
Altogether ten new super speciality departments will be opened in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal within the current 11th five year plan period.
Speaking to reporters here today, RIMS Director L Fimate said that the upcoming super speciality departments include Cardiology, Urology, Plastic Surgery and Neurology.
In addition to opening a nursing college and an upto date Out Patient Department (OPD), the annual intake capacity of MBBS course will also be increased to 150 from the existing 100.The existing hostels for RIMS students will also be upgraded, Dr Fimate said.
The proposed programme to upgrade and equip RIMS with latest health care facilities was approved by Union Health Minister Ambumani Ramados during a meeting of the RIMS' Board of Directors held recently at New Delhi, conveyed Fimate who also attended the meeting.
He further stated that there will be no problem for land to modernise and enpand RIMS as the institute has already acquired 310 acres of land.
To make a spot assessment ahead of the development programme, a team of the Union Health Ministry headed by Additional Director General S Agarwal arrived at Imphal today.
A team of experienced doctors from top medical institutions like the AIIMS will be visiting the State to help set up super speciality departments and courses in RIMS on April 15, conveyed the RIMS Director.
He also sought cooperation from all the people to develop RIMS to the same level as AIIMS.
Once the super speciality departments are opened in RIMS, it will be big relief for the people of Manipur who have been spending huge amount of money in treating complicated diseases and ailments in well-equipped hospitals located outside the State, Dr Fimate exuded.
On the other hand, a memorandum submitted to the visiting Additional Director General (Health) by social worker Kambam Seityajit pointed out that seven ventilators of the ICU and the CT scan machine are out of order since a long time back.
Even as the RIMS has been brought under the Union Ministry of Health, there is no full-fledged Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgery department till date.
Pointing out several loop-holes and drawbacks in the administration and functioning of RIMS, Seityajit asked as to why there are no official operation theatre days and separate wards for GI surgery till now.
He further sought attention of the Additional Director General (Health) on exorbitant fees charged by private hospitals in Manipur whose daily charges range from Rs 350 to Rs 5,000.He asked whether there is no regulatory authority to control these exorbitant fees charged by private hospitals.
Mentioning two different cases in which two cancer patients reportedly went back home untreated from RIMS because they were poor, the memorandum sought immediate attention of authority concerned to streamline the administration and functioning of RIMS.