Delhi Govt issues 35 ventilators to Lok Nayak but hospital fails to install them

Delhi government's plan to install 125 ventilators in city hospitals has still not been implemented leaving patients with no other choice but to the non reliable ambu-bags, a device used for manual ventilation in many cases.

Lok Nayak Hospital, one of Delhi government's biggest hospitals, was given 35 ventilators, but it has failed to install many of these, sources in the hospital say.

Various departments like medicine, neurosurgery and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were allocated these ventilators in the first phase of the installation in March. Two months down the line the installations have still not taken place.

"They are just lying somewhere in the hospital. The neurosurgery ward and the medicine ward still does not have them," a senior doctor from the hospital told DNA. On Saturday, the neurosurgery ward on the fifth floor of the hospital was functioning without a single ventilator. Patients in the ward were using ambu-bags for the manual ventilation.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on March 11 had visited the neurosurgery ward located on the fifth floor where new ventilators were installed. On April 5, the Health Minister had asked the status report of the ventilators from all the government hospitals. In its reply, Lok Nayak Hospital had mentioned that all the ventilators have been installed and are functional. A copy of the letter is with DNA.

Refuting the allegations, the head of the department of neurosurgery said that the ventilators might be still there in the ward. "I will have to check this. I think four ventilators are still in the ward," said Dr PN Pandey, head of department, neurosurgery, Lok Nayak Hospital.

Even on Saturday, the ICU had 15 working ventilators, in place of 20. According to the sources, before the government announced the new ventilators, the hospital had 14 ventilators in its ICU.

Sources in the hospital said that the lack of central gas pipeline system in the campus is the major reason for the non-installation of the ventilators.

The new medical emergency block of the 2000-bed hospital is dealing with the emergency cases and requires ventilator facility for the patients availing treatment. According to sources, the ventilators are must for the emergency department. In the absence of ventilator support, the patients have to opt for ambu-bags through which manual ventilation is given to the patients.

"Though the government has procured the ventilators but installation process is extremely difficult. Every hospital should have a central gas pipeline before this medical equipment is installed," said a senior Delhi government official.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted on December 12 saying that the new ventilators will be installed in 10-12 days. A total of 125 ventilators were purchased against the demand of 80.

Lok Nayak and Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital has 35 ventilators, while Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital has 10. Other state government hospitals with additional ventilators include GB Pant Hospital (10), Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital (5), Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (20), Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital (18), Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital (3) and Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital (4).

According to sources, shortage of ventilators is one of the major problems in hospitals. Patients are often refused admission and treatment because of the lack of availability of ventilators.

No ventilators

On Saturday, the Lok Nayak hospital ICU had 15 working ventilators, in place of 20 
CM Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted on December 12 saying that the new ventilators will be installed in 10-12 days. A total of 125 ventilators were purchased against the demand of 80