BHOPAL: Non-core medical services at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) and its associated hospitals would be outsourced from December 15. The move is intended to improve patient care and introduce corporate-style practices in the three hospitals of GMC.Focus of the medical practitioners would be limited to providing healthcare, where as HLL, a government enterprise, would cater to sanitation, security and overall maintenance of equipment at the largest tertiary care hospital in Bhopal. Similar initiative is expected to be replicated in government-run medical colleges in in Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior.Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is likely to inaugurate it in January - almost a year after he conducted a surprise inspection of the hospital that led to a shake of the directorate of medical education (DME) and government-run Hamidia Hospital. Ahead of the start of a new trauma and emergency unit, ACS Radheshyam Julania visited the institute last week.The 63-year-old medical college is in the midst of a massive transformation. Five new buildings are under construction with the existing building, paving way for new lecture halls, hostel blocks, library and laboratories. Associated hospital of GMC -- Hamidia hospital, the largest tertiary care health facility in Bhopal is also under redevelopment. Old blocks of the 70-year-old structure are being demolished and a 13-storeyed hospital is being built. Overall project funding including a 'smart hospital' is expected to cost upwards of Rs 2,000 crore.GMC is also being expanded to improve its infrastructure and increase faculty to house 100 new MBBS seats as desired by the state government. In the recent past, MCI inspection has been critical about lack of space and facilities to cater to existing five batches of MBSS courses, with 150 seats each. DME also plans to setup diagnostic service facilities, healthcare screening facilities and other specialised therapeutic facilities in various departments of the GMC. It would also introduce new 1.5 Tesla MRI scanners, much needed in the new trauma and emergency wing.Afull-fledged trauma unit was first envisaged a decade ago. Sources said that the government sanctioned 55 posts of which 12 were filled. "GMC needs a major recruitment drive to cater to ever increasing number of patients. Machines only cannot do the job," said a consultant, seeking anonymity.Since the visit of Chouhan last December, OPD number or outpatient seeking medical care at Hamidia hospital, has nearly doubled. November witnessed unprecedented OPD number with registrations crossing 66,116 - the highest for a single month. Elected major operations in the medical college assisted departments have crossed 15,000 for the year, said Hamidia hospital superintendent, Dr Deepak Maravi The hospital is also set to introduce new cadre for hospital management. The new posts would be filled by experts in hospital administration, after a nod from the state government. The outsourced agency would relieve existing company of its services.

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