Saturday, 05 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal conducted a surprise inspection of Rishikesh government hospital on Friday, uncovering alarming conditions. He found patients lying on the floor in the destitute ward. According to the DM, several wards were empty and the operation theatre was found unused despite the appointment of several specialist doctors. He expressed his dissatisfaction over the lack of patients and questioned why the wards and operation theatre were not being utilised despite there being adequate medical staff.
Bansal arrived unannounced in the hospital early on Friday. He drove to the hospital and stood in line to obtain an OPD slip, blending in with other patients and attendants. It was only after he had spent half an hour in the hospital that the medical staff became aware of his presence. During his visit, the DM interacted with patients and their attendants, addressing their concerns. He was particularly displeased with the hospital’s poor cleanliness standards, including the state of the destitute ward. He took the attendance register of hospital staff into his possession and immediately stopped the salaries of four doctors who were absent from duty, directing adverse entries in their service records.
Bansal also reprimanded the chief medical superintendent for the numerous irregularities, summoning him with hospital records to the next Tehsil Day. He also observed that the ICU was locked and the vaccination room was unattended, with the ANM absent from duty. He also imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the sanitation contractor for the unsatisfactory hygiene conditions. He has also sought a detailed report from the chief medical officer on the hospital’s operations and management. After this, the DM conducted an inspection of the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) office in Rishikesh. He expressed strong displeasure over the disorganisation.
The DM observed that employees were sitting idle while people were wandering around, unsure of their turn. Many individuals were standing outside the office without any official work. Visitors were also not being informed about which counter to approach for tasks like license issuance, renewal and vehicle registration, causing inconvenience. The DM issued strict instructions to the ARTO to improve the office’s functioning and hinted at possible major action.
