Short-staffed Bengaluru hospitals turn to NGOs for manpower

City hospitals have signed a three-month MoU with two NGOs to provide intensivists, physicians and nurses to overcome the shortage of staff. The project is being funded by the Azim Premji Foundation.

Aware that the outsourcing model will not be sustainable in the long run, the hospitals have urged the government to help them with recruitment, a long-drawn-out process. At the end of the three-month contract, the hospitals will also give the specialists the option to continue.

Currently, 11 doctors from the ‘Doctors for You’ NGO are staffed at Jayanagar General, where 11 out of the newly set up 23-bedded ICUs have been occupied.

“We have two intensivists, two anaesthetists and five physicians with an MD from the NGO,” a doctor at the hospital told DH. “After three months, we will ask them if they want to continue with us.”

Six out of the existing 16 ICU beds at CV Raman General Hospital have been occupied. Medical Superintendent Dr H D R Radhakrishna recently saw 56 ICU beds set up as a part of the CSR initiative, while ventilators are not ready.

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“The state government is supposed to supply the ventilator. But due to the lockdown, they couldn’t find a truck large enough to carry all the devices. Once they are fixed, the 56 beds can function,” Dr Radhakrishna said.

The CSR project also provided ECG machines, defibrillators, infusion pumps, monitors and suction machines to the hospital.

“I can manage up to 30 ICU patients with my existing staff, who include staff nurses appointed on a contract basis.” the hospital chief said.

“Luckily, there aren’t many patients needing intensive care now. We will request the Azim Premji Foundation to provide funds for four duty doctors, two physicians, two anaesthetists and staff nurses, if the Covid cases increase. The MoU is yet to be signed.”

For a sustainable long-term arrangement, the hospital has urged the state government to deploy 80 staff nurses, three doctors and four group D workers for every 10 ICU beds at the hospital.

Dr Ansar Ahmed, district surgeon, Bengaluru Urban, who heads the Epidemic Diseases Hospital, had 26 ICU beds set up at its premises recently. However, they are awaiting swab culture tests to check for fungal growth in their hospital building to start operating the ICU.

“We will be supplied 42 doctors, including anaesthetists and health workers, by Sambhav Foundation’s partner LabourNet for three months, once the culture tests come negative,” Dr Ahmed said.