Shillong, May 8: Surgeries in the cardiology department of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) should resume from Thursday.

This was directed by the Meghalaya High Court to NEIGRIHMS that it should work out a formula to ensure that surgeries in the cardiology department must resume tomorrow (Thursday).

This order was passed on Wednesday by the division bench which comprised of Chief Justice, Mohammad Yaqoob Mir while taking serious note of the internal differences between the cardiology department and the authorities of NEIGRIHMS that led to the postponement of about 34 surgeries.

The court also directed the Chief Secretary Meghalaya to depute an additional chief secretary to head a meeting for coming up with a long term solution to ensure that such situation do not arise again. The court said that the report should be submitted by Monday.

NEIGRIHMS director, Dr D.M. Thapa and HoD cardiology Dr Animesh Mishra were also present in the Court during the hearing.

“At this stage we are persuaded to direct both the Director as well as the Head of Department Cardiology to work out a working formula so that patient care may not suffer,” the chief justice said in his order.

“Today itself, medical superintendent shall hold a meeting with the cardiology department and immediately work out a solution so that right from tomorrow surgeries as per scheduled are being carried out,” it added.

The Court also directed holding of a meeting to be headed by an additional chief secretary in NEIGHRIHMS tomorrow itself while maintaining that director and HoD cardiology should also participate besides medical superintendent, a representative from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Amrit pharmacy.

“…a long term solution to all the issues shall be worked out so that the situation as it is at present may not rise again in future,” it said while directing that whatever decision taken by the committee shall be implemented and report be submitted to the Court on May 13.

The Court has also expressed its dismay to hear that the patients in the cardiology department in view of the present difficulties are suffering and some patients have requested to refer them to some other hospitals while reminding that NEIGRIHMS, a premier institution is supposed to take care of the health sector of the state and other inhabitants of the neighbouring states.

On hearing the submissions made by the director and HoD cardiology, the Court said, “It appears that there is some trust deficit, as a result whereof important surgical materials required to be utilised in the surgeries have not been made available for varied reasons.”

The director NEIGRIHMS made it clear that he is adhering to all advisories and formalities, as a Director he will ensure that all materials required by the Cardiology Department is made available to them so that surgeries are not postponed.

He was clear to state that a meeting has already been convened by the medical superintendent but cardiology department did not send its representative. It is also divulged that some surgical materials are being supplied on subsidized rates under Amrit Scheme.

Amrit Pharmacy at times is not supplying the materials in time which also gives rise to complicacies and it is in that backdrop modalities were to be worked out in the interest of patient care so as to purchase such materials from other sources.

The Court said from the submissions of the director and HoD cardiology unfortunate situation got birth due to the acrimonious atmosphere.

It asserted that the director has to run the administration but in the process has to abide by all norms and at the same time has to carry the entire team along with so as to achieve the object for which NEIGRIHMS was established.

Moreover, the Court pointed out that earlier it was given to understand that the material made available under Amrit Scheme is not accepted to the cardiology department “which is not a fact”.

“The fact of the matter as emerged from their respective submission is that surgical material in quantity and quality is not made available so as to help the cardiology department to carry out its day to day work including emergency surgeries,” it said.

“The director as well as HoD have their own limitations but at the same time both have to join hands so as to see that people will not lose trust in functioning of NEIGRIHMS,” it further asserted.

Head of Department has made it clear that the cardiology department has reached to new heights in view of dedicated working of the department which is expected to be more committed and should not allow the situation to rise for postponement of surgeries.

Stating that the claim that in view of non-availability of surgical materials it was impracticable for them to carry out surgeries is a genuine concern, the Court however said, “but at the same time they should have sorted out the problems by meeting the director or in the meeting convened by the medical superintendent.”