Crisis at NEIGRIHMS as HOD Cardiology, Hospital Administration come In Standoff

Shillong: The prestigious  North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has now come into limelight, after a head on collusion between the Institute Administration and the Head of the Department of the Cardiology. So much so that the Meghalaya government has decided to intervene to resolve the crisis in the super speciality North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in the wake of the stand-off between the faculty of Cardiology department and the administration.

The standoff came into highlight when On May 1, the services of the Head of Department, Cardiology of the medical institute was been shut down due to the latter’s alleged non-cooperation with the administration in regard to make treatment of poor cardiology patients affordable.

The press release stated that “There are two complaints from PMO Office to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare forwarded to NEIGRIHMS, some time before regarding high price Cardiology patients have to pay to get treatment in NEIGRIHMS due to high cost price of stents, which the patients purchase from some local vendors.”

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of institute issued a press release where it stated that the vendor (Sanjo Medical) “in connivance of the HoD Cardiology” used to get stents in the morning to the Cath Lab and sell to the patients on the advice of the cardiologists on the day of the procedure at a very high cost, despite the capping of rates by the Ministry, quoted the Northeast Now.

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The security and vigilance officers took serious cognisance of “illegal trade in the hospital and cheating of the poor patients by the vendor with the help of HOD cardiology, and ceased the supplies after the procedure was over (in the interest of patients), despite of a noisy scene created by the HoD, Cardiology”, the PRO added.

Since the services at the department remained paralyzed, the Director appealed to the patients to cooperate so that the “menace of illegal practices are curbed once for all” and warned the cardiologist he would be responsible for any casualty as he is “preventing other doctors and paramedics to perform their legitimate duties”.

“Administration is taking all measures to streamline services in Cardiology department,” the release further stated.

HOD Says Open to Inquiry

With the standoff between the cardiologist and the administration bringing the department functioning to a halt, the HOD Cardiology  Dr Animesh Mishra said that he is open to an inquiry on the allegations leveled against him pertaining to attempts to earn profit by making patients purchase stents and pacemakers from a vendor outside the hospital instead of the Amrit Pharmacy.

According to him, the Department of Cardiology does not have any inventory in the institute to treat patients who need emergency treatment. “In fact, the authorities had seized the stock from the only pharmacy which is selling stents in the State.

State Government to Intervene

Meghalaya government has decided to intervene to resolve the crisis in the super speciality North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in the wake of the stand-off between the faculty of Cardiology department and the administration.

Health and Family Welfare Minister, Alexander Hek said the state government have directed the governing council of NEIGRIHMS to meet to resolve the differences at the earliest as it has affected the patients. “The patients should not suffer in view of this stand-off,” he said.