Many services at Safdarjung 50% functional due to dearth of nurses

New Delhi: Six months have passed since their initiation. Yet, around 50 per cent of the medical facilities at the emergency block and super-specialty block at Safdarjung Hospital are defunct. To add to its woes, the hospital is also struggling with a massive shortage of nurses.

An official at the hospital, who requested anonymity, said that even though the appointment process of nurses has started, "it somehow got entangled in a dispute, due to which many medical facilities are not operational at the hospital."

It may be noted that after nearly two decades, the introduction of the super-specialty block in June and emergency block in February turned Safdarjung into the biggest hospital in the Capital.

With the emergency block comprising 500 beds and the super-specialty block having 807, the total bed capacity of Safdarjung Hospital rose to 2,838. However, due to dearth of nursing staff, only around 50 per cent of beds are open for patients in both blocks.

Moreover, due to shortage of nursing staff, private wards at the hospital have not yet been opened.

The official added that in May, the administration started the process of appointing 932 nursing staff on a one-year contract. However, only 400 nurses were finally appointed as per directives of the Union Health Ministry.

In August, the administration conducted an online examination for permanent appointment of 991 nurses. However, some candidates reportedly complained of technical glitches and demanded the administration to conduct the exam again. Since then, the appointments process has been in limbo.

"The administration sent the matter file to the Ministry, which will decide whether the examination will be cancelled or the appointments will be done on its basis.

"Had the nurses been appointed, all the medical facilities would have started in both the blocks with full capacity," the Safdarjung Hospital official said.