Mumbai: Over 30 of 251 KEM ventilators defunct, reveals RTI response

MUMBAI: A reply to an RTI query revealed that 32 of KEM Hospital’s 251 ventilators are non-functional, some for over a year. Thirteen of the defunct ventilators are in the medical ICU (MICU), cardiac ICCU and the emergency ward’s intensive care units, that witness a huge rush of patients.
The RTI query filed by Chetan Kothari showed that the general surgery department was where the maximum number of machines were not working — eight out of 13.The hospital, in the RTI response, said that at least six ventilators were in the process to be scrapped, while the rest were waiting to be repaired or were scheduled for calibration.
As per the details, four of six defunct ventilators are to be scrapped, while the other two have issues with the flow sensor. Some of these ventilators have been non-functional since May last year. In the emergency ward that deals with trauma cases among others, five of the 20 ventilators have faulty flow sensors. The hospital said files are already in process to procure the accessory that measures air flow during ventilation. Kothari pointed out that in a busy hospital like KEM, 12% of the ventilators lying defunct can be a matter of life and death for patients.
KEM dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh said at any given point some ventilators are in between maintenance or calibration in any hospital. “Majority of the ventilators are functioning at KEM and we can procure more if there is a need. However, the question is not just about buying more ventilators but about having trained staffers to look after patients who are on ventilators,” he said. Deshmukh added that while the usual life of a ventilator could be 8-12 years, in KEM they usually last for an average of ten years before they are condemned.