Focus on patient care at TIMS Telangana health minister

Hyderabad: Telangana health minister C Damodar Raja Narasimha on Tuesday, September 30 asked officials to ensure patient care at Telangana Institute if Medical Sciences (TIMS).

He said that the hospital will compete with the private hospitals in Telangana in terms of service and maintenance. Health officials were asked to develop TIMS at Sanathnagar Kothapet and Alwal to match the standards of corporate hospitals. He instructed that equal priority be given to cleanliness and patient care, following the model of AIG, Apollo, Yashoda, NIMS, and AIIMS hospitals.

He stressed that TIMS should also have an autonomous governance system like NIMS. In the context of the upcoming inauguration of the Sanathnagar TIMS, the minister held a review meeting with officials.

The meeting, held at the Aarogyasri Trust office, was attended by health secretary Christina Z Chongthu, Aarogyasri CEO Uday Kumar, DME Narendra Kumar, TVVP Commissioner Ajay Kumar, Public Health Director Ravindra Naik, Professor Vimala Thomas, and others. Officials had already conducted a study on the practices followed by AIG, Apollo, Yashoda, NIMS, and AIIMS and prepared a report.

The health minister was briefed about the functioning of clinical and non clinical departments in corporate hospitals, the number of doctors and staff, the expenditure incurred, and other related matters.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, “CM Revanth Reddy’s vision is to provide the public with hospitals that rival corporate hospitals and surpass NIMS in quality. The government is ready to allocate the necessary funds to ensure hospitals are equipped with all facilities. “

He suggested that clinical services, administrative services, and academic departments should be distinctly separated, as in corporate hospitals. He also stated that, like NIMS, TIMS should have a Medical Director, Medical Superintendent, and a chief operational officer.

The minister directed that a clear job chart be created, specifying who is responsible for each department and their respective duties. He recalled that in the past, even wealthy individuals and prominent leaders sought treatment at Gandhi and Osmania hospitals.

He emphasised that TIMS should now be developed to that level. The minister instructed the Health Secretary to prepare a final report within a week, covering all aspects, including the recruitment of doctors and staff.