Kerala Medical College Ordered to Conduct Staffing Audit After Surgical Tool Scandal
In a significant development amid ongoing controversies within the Kerala health department, the Alappuzha Government Medical College Hospital has been directed to identify and address critical staff shortages. This directive comes directly from the principal of the medical college, Dr B Padmakumar, who has issued formal instructions to all department heads across the hospital.
Directive Follows High-Profile Surgical Error Case
The order gains particular urgency following a shocking incident where a pair of surgical forceps was discovered inside the abdomen of a housewife after a procedure at the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. This medical negligence case has drawn widespread attention and raised serious questions about hospital protocols and staffing levels.
Former department head Dr Lalithambika, who faces accusations in the surgical tool case, had previously highlighted severe staff shortages within the gynaecology department as a contributing factor to such errors. While the state health minister initially denied these allegations, the new directive from the principal appears to validate Dr Lalithambika's claims about inadequate staffing.
Comprehensive Human Resources Assessment Ordered
According to the principal's instructions, department heads must conduct a thorough evaluation of human resources needs based on the hospital's actual requirements. The directive emphasizes that proposals for new positions must be submitted with utmost urgency by all department heads.
The assessment requires accurate data collection across multiple categories:
- Existing permanent staff members
- Contract employees currently working
- Personnel appointed through the Hospital Development Society (HDS)
Proposals for new positions must be developed based on this comprehensive data, clearly identifying which departments face the most urgent staffing needs. The principal has specified that all submissions must follow a particular format that explicitly indicates both financial liabilities and operational necessities.
Special Attention to Critical Support Positions
In his directive, Dr Padmakumar has instructed department heads to pay particular attention to urgent appointments in essential support positions. These include nursing assistants and grade attendants whose roles are crucial for maintaining hospital operations and patient care standards.
The principal has set a strict deadline for compliance, requiring all department heads to submit their detailed reports on staffing shortages by Wednesday. This timeline underscores the urgency with which hospital administration views the staffing crisis following the surgical tool incident.
This development represents a significant shift in the health department's approach to the staffing controversy, moving from denial to active assessment and potential resolution of human resource deficiencies that may compromise patient safety and care quality at one of Kerala's important medical institutions.
