KOCHI: Even as the tender proceedings for the Rs 200 crore super specialty block of the Ernakulam Government Medical College (EMC) are to start next week, the cardiology department has got a shot in the arm with the appointment of a professor in the department. The appointment of Prof Raju George on transfer from Kottayam Medical College comes almost two months before the cath lab becomes functional at the EMC. Now one associate professor and two assistant professors also have to be posted at EMC to make the cardiology department a vibrant superspecialty wing at the hospital along with the operation of the cath lab.
The nephrology wing currently has one professor and two assistant professors while the vacancy of one associate professor has to be filled. The Neurology department, the last of the three superspecialty departments at the hospital, has only one associated professor while the posts of one professor and two assistant professors remain vacant. Though there is no plastic surgery department, EMC gets the service of a consultant plastic surgeon.
“The surgical super specialties are yet to be created at the medical college and we have given requests for post creation in this regard. On priorities are urology, pediatric surgery and neuro surgery. We want to add gastroenterology also as we progress. The work on the superspecialty block is expected to start by May-end,” said Dr V.K. Sreekala, principal, EMC.
“It’s a medical college running PG courses and it should have all super specialty departments. When the cath lab comes, the cardiothoracic surgery department should also be added to offer complete heart care. The burns unit also should be strengthened. We are all looking for Centre of Excellence status to EMC. In fact Central Kerala should have a strong medical college and when the cancer centre also comes up on the same campus, patients are benefitted immensely,” said Dr N.K. Sanil Kumar, leader of Justice VR Krishna Iyer Movement.
