Expressing this, director, Nimhans, Pratima Murthy, on Tuesday, told principal secretary, department of health and family welfare, T K Anil Kumar that the OPD complex was built in mid-1980s and has outlived its usefulness.
“The number of footfalls is very high and there is not enough places for patients to wait . We hope to have a new out patient block in the year to come,” she said.
She was talking at the 9th Graduation Day of the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) held here on Tuesday, where 188 students were awarded undergraduate degrees and certificates. The courses include B.Sc. in Nursing, B.Sc. in Anaesthesia Technology, B.Sc. in Radiography, Post-Basic Diploma in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Post-Basic Diploma in Neuro Sciences Nursing, Post-Basic B.Sc. in Nursing, and Certificate Course in Neuropathology Technology.
Talking to ToI on the sidelines of the programme Murthy said, that the institute has been asked to make a DPR. “We had an old one that we need to revisit, and that will be updated and we are looking for government support for it,” she added, stating that in the past year the institute had a footfall of five lakh persons.
Hub and spoke model for neurotrauma
NIMHANS is also submitting a proposal to the government of Karnataka for a hub and spoke model for patients with acute stroke and neurotrauma so they can be managed closer to where they are.
Murthy said that this will be in coordination with medical colleges in the district hospitals and will cater to a large number of people with acute stroke or head injury do not get treatment close to where they are. “There is a golden period during which acute stroke need services. We want to capacitate in each district one centre which will work as a hub and we will be the super hub and we will go down into the periphery for acute treatment of head injury and stroke where there are ventilators and surgical help available,” she said.
This, she believed, would also reduce the patient load at NIMHANS.
Meanwhile, chief guest TK Anil Kumar lauded the institute for its unique courses and said its invaluable in the next generation of healthcare reform where technology intervention in healthcare delivery becomes crucial.
He stated that Niti Ayog members will deliberate on the Karnataka brain health initiative in the next week. The Karnataka Brain Health Initiative, an association between NIMHANS and Karnataka government makes doctors in primary and secondary care aware of the numerous kinds of neurological problems among patients who come to them — they identify, manage and know when to refer them.
