Mangaluru : Lady Goschen Hospital will be taking services of newly graduated nurses from the nursing college in the Wenlock Hospital to fill the shortfall of nurses in the Lady Goschen hospital, said Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader.

After reviewing the functioning of Lady Goschen Hospital here on Tuesday, Mr. Khader told reporters that 60 nurses working in the hospital, which caters to maternity cases from district and neighbouring places, are overworked.

“They are working tirelessly to serve patients, who are increasing at a drastic rate.” Mr. Khader said. He said the shortage of nurses was affecting care of women in the hospital.

Mr. Khader said the hospital required 120 nurses. “As many as 33 students graduate every year from the nursing college in the Wenlock. We will be using most these graduates by paying them a stipend of Rs. 7,000 per month out of the funds available with the Arogya Raksha Samiti (of Wenlock and Lady Goschen Hospitals),” he said.

A three-member committee headed Suresh N.R., the Senior Regional Director, Regional office of Health and Family Welfare, will submit report in another three days about deaths of five women with complicated pregnancy in the Lady Goschen Hospital in the last three months.

Mr. Khader said action to transfer the hospital’s Superintendent M. M. Shakunatala to Wenlock Hospital was an administrative decision and nothing to do with the deaths reported in the hospital. Based on the panel’s findings, further action to improve working of the hospital would be taken, the Minister said.