Drama in Mumbai's KEM hospital over ‘defective’ PM Cares ventilators

MUMBAI: Almost three years after some “defective” PM Cares ventilators were distributed to various hospitals during the Covid pandemic, eight such ventilators became the focus of attention at BMC-run KEM Hospital in Parel on Wednesday.
Pictures of these pristine ventilators with the ‘PM Cares’ tags clearly visible were circulated on social media. “The ventilators are kept in the spine OT enclosure,” said a staffer, who visited the area along with members of the Municipal Mazdoor Union, which took up the matter with the medical superintendent.“There are regular complaints of shortage of ventilators in KEM ICU. Then why are new ventilators kept here instead of being used for patient care?” asked another hospital staffer.
During the pandemic, in 2020, Centre procured and distributed various medical gadgets and apparatus meant for effective management of Covid patients in hospital care. However, there were complaints of some of the machines being defective. In May 2021, Maharashtra govt’s medical education department conducted an audit of the 1,300-odd ventilators it received under the PM Cares. The audit found that 243 of these ventilators distributed to the 19 state-run medical colleges were defective.
KEM Hospital received 12 ventilators under the PM Cares initiative. “Eight of them were non-functional since the day they were brought here,” said a senior doctor. He said some of the X-ray machines distributed by the programme too are defective.
The union members alleged that the hospital is planning to sell the machines as scrap. “They are new machines, why should they be discarded?” they asked.
Despite efforts, it was not possible to reach the hospital dean and medical superintendent for an explanation.
A senior administration official said the eight ventilators were being sent to SevenHills Hospital, which was BMC’s main Covid centre, in Andheri. Late in the evening, the machines were moved out of the spine OT enclosure to an undisclosed location. A senior doctor said the ventilators will be sent for repairs. “We are in the process of contacting the parent company that sent the ventilators and getting them functional,” said the senior doctor.