Rabindranath Biswas
Port Blair/Diglipur, Aug 09: Dr. Pragya Sharma, Director, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) along with her subordinate doctors and staff held a press conference yesterday and set forth the present status and future policies in detail.
Dr. Sharma, while addressing media persons at the press meet yesterday, expounded on the ANIIMS’s current status and new policies to the media at great length. She said that the doctors are performing their duties with assiduity to provide the most effective treatment to the patients in the islands, while the staff are working shoulder to shoulder with doctors to achieve the common aim that is serving the patients with diligence. Transparency and protocols are the two top priorities which they adhere to while appointing doctors and staff in ANIIMS, she said.
ANIIMS has a number of plans afoot to further strengthen it, she said. Setting up of a College of Nursing (BSc Nursing) to be co-located with ANIIMS, applying for PG courses in multiple disciplines for the academic year 2025-26, formation of a State Allied Health Council, hiring of super-specialists are parts of the plans, while augmenting the stipend of interns from Rs 26,000 to 30,070 is in the offing she informed. At present there are 117 interns working in close coordination with doctors and are serving the patients, the Director ANIIMS, said.
Giving an account of the strength of ANIIMS, Dr. Arpita Saha, Additional Medical Superintendent said that ANIIMS has a total strength of 91 specialist doctors, including 89 specialists and two super-specialist doctors and 73 Junior Resident doctors, along with adequate number of Nursing staff. There is no dearth of sanitation and other support staff in effectively providing health care services to the people of these Islands, at the moment, she claimed. Moreover, the ANIIMS is equipped with opulent machines and equipment which have eased diagnosis, treatment of fatal/terminal diseases like cancer. Mammography machine is capable of screening of cancer, 4 D EchoCardiography is being used for detection of cardiac problems and C Arm machine is used for orthopedic, urology, gastroenterology surgeries, and other complicated surgeries, she informed. The bed strength of the casualty ward has been expanded from 10 beds to 21 beds while Biometric attendance has been implemented in order to maintain punctuality among working doctors, staff and faculty of ANIIMS. The ANIIMS has adopted the scan & share QR code solution of the National Health Authority to facilitate quick registration of patients. Hospitals, CHCs, PHC and Sub-Centres across the Islands have no shortage of medicines. The Med Board is engaged in regular monitoring while a portal for dashboard for monitoring the operational status of medical equipment has been operational for ANIIMS, Dr. Arpita Saha said.
Throwing light on the infrastructure development, Dr. Ajay Verma, Chairman, Planning Cell, ANIIMS said that the administration building of the medical college and the boy’s hostel for ANIIMS have been completed while construction of the Basic Science block is under progress.
Dr. MK. Saha, Medical Superintendent, GB Pant Hospital told the media that the AV fistula creation work has started in GB Pant Hospital. He further stated that in recent months a considerable number of major cataract and other therapeutic surgeries were performed. The patients are getting the facilities of two 2 BLS and one ACLS Ambulance and other transport ambulances, he said.
Director of Health Services, Dr. Suja Antony presented an all-embracing function, role, responsibility and coordination among DHS and ANIIMS. She said that GBPH and ANIIMS are committed to working in close coordination for the well-being of the people of these islands.
Dr. Sunil, CMO, DHS along with his colleagues replied to the questions/queries posed by the media persons.
