NMC notice to Pune's Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College over bed shortage
National Medical Commission
Pune: A shortage of hospital beds at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College in Pune has drawn a stern warning from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
According to a recent report by the Free Press Journal, the NMC has issued a notice to the medical college running under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) regarding the shortage of beds and warned that the hospital’s accreditation could be cancelled.
As per NMC norms, the medical college is required to have 420 functional beds. However, only 287 beds are currently operational, leaving a shortfall of 173.
Despite PMC’s ambitious plans last year to modernise civic-run hospitals, including expanding bed capacity and introducing modular operating theatres, on-ground implementation has reportedly lagged due to a lack of manpower, including doctors, nurses and ward staff.
Although temporary beds have been placed on some hospital floors, technical and electrical work, including the installation of oxygen lines, remains incomplete, adds the dialy.
The department-wise gaps include both General Medicine and General Surgery, which require 100 beds each but have only 60, leaving a deficit of 40 beds in each department. The Paediatrics department has 50 beds, nine fewer than required. Dermatology has no beds despite a requirement of 10, while Orthopaedics has only 20 of the 40 beds needed.
Similarly, ENT and Ophthalmology departments currently have no functioning beds, despite a requirement of 20 beds each. Gynaecology is the only department meeting the requirement in full, with all 50 beds functional. The ICU is critically under-equipped, with only 7 of the mandated 20 beds available.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Additional Commissioner Pradeep Chandran said, “100 new beds have been added at Kamla Nehru Hospital as per NMC norms. These will be operational in the next few days.”
PMC Health Department Head Dr Nina Borade added, “As per NMC’s instructions, department-wise beds are being increased. A proposal has already been sent to the General Administration Department for increasing the manpower,” reports Free Press Journal.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that, highlighting serious deficiencies in infrastructure, staffing, and facilities at the institute, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a show-cause notice to Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College, which is run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). In the show-cause notice, NMC has questioned why the recognition of the medical college should not be revoked and a fine of Rs 1 crore should not be imposed.
