Have or have not: MGM. A file picture

Jamshedpur, Nov. 3: IT systems supposedly installed, but nowhere to be found on the hospital premises have become the bone of contention between the National Information Centre (NIC) and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGM).

In an interview to a technical magazine, Shahid Ahmed, technical director, (NIC), said: “A single window system for registration and enquiry of patients was implemented at MGM in August 2003. The features of the software include outdoors patients’ registration, indoor patient registration, enquiry regarding indoor patients and generation of discharge certificate for indoor patients.”

However, the MGM administration officials maintain that no such system was implemented in the hospital.

“We are asking the government for funds. One of the only two computers in the hospital is in the ICU for medical monitoring. Another, in my office, is used for administration purposes. Anybody who said there are IT systems here has provided false information,” said A.K. Verma, MGM medical superintendent, adding that there are future plans of computerisation.

However, NIC remained firm on its stand about the plan implementation.

“During the tenure of the former medical superintendent, Dr D.N. Mukherjee, we installed three computers and three printers with software for patient’s records, registration and enquiry. We also created a simple network between them, for integration,” said O.P. Sinha, district information officer, NIC, adding that the system was used for two months by MGM before being withdrawn.

He claimed having complete documentation, including letters from the previous superintendent and a newspaper cutting, which says that the former health minister of the state, Dr Dinesh Sarangi, had inaugurated the system.

NIC reportedly installed these systems after a study of TMH and Tata Motors Hospital, said Sinha.

Sounding clueless about the missing systems, Verma spoke of MGM’s computerisation plans. “We have guidelines from the Medical Council of India that the government medical college hospitals must have IT systems in place. We have asked for funds from the government for this project and work is going on in this direction, “ says Verma.

Other than maintaining patient’s records, connecting the out-patient department, pathology, pharmacy and similar departments, facilities would also be made available online, claimed Verma.

Another special software that the system would have is the complete data bank on epidemics and diseases prevalent in Jharkhand such as anaemia. The list of companies has arrived and the whole procedure will take “a few days’ time”, adds Verma.