Delhi Health Minister pays surprise visit to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital

New Delhi: In a bid to assess and ensure the effectiveness of healthcare services initiated under the Delhi government, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj undertook surprise inspections at two hospitals in the national capital, said an official release on Tuesday.

According to an official press release from the Office of the Health Minister Government of NCT in Delhi, "Saurabh Bharadwaj inspected the Hedgewar Hospital near Karkardooma Court and Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in the Trilokpuri area of Delhi on Tuesday."

As per the release, "A continuous series of inspections is underway in government hospitals in Delhi. several healthcare services initiated by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are being regularly examined to ensure their effectiveness."

The admitted patients and their families expressed their satisfaction regarding the cleanliness of the hospital. Inquiring about the quality of food provided to patients, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj received positive feedback from all patients, said the release.

The Minister also engaged in discussions with hospital administration to ensure that there are no issues or deficiencies in the hospital operations.

He specifically inquired about the availability of medicines, and upon interacting with both patients in line and those admitted, the Health Minister gathered information to verify the accuracy of the details provided by the hospital administration.

The information provided by the hospital administration was found to be accurate after cross-checking.

Bharadwaj also assured the hospital administration that if they encounter any issues in the hospital's functioning, he is ready to provide support.

The Health Minister also announced that during his inspection at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, he received complaints from some patients.

They reported that hospital staff, in the name of specific personnel, were bypassing the queue and directly taking people to see the doctor. This practice caused inconvenience to those waiting in line.

In response, Bharadwaj promptly directed the hospital administration that no VIP treatment would be provided to anyone in the name of staff.

He emphasized that hospital staff, just like the general public, should wait in line for their turn to consult the doctor.

The Health Minister issued stern instructions to the hospital administration, stating that if such complaints arise in the future, strict action would be taken against the hospital management.

He emphasized the importance of equal access to healthcare services for all, whether they are ordinary citizens or working in hospital administration.

During the hospital inspection, the Health Minister also inquired about the cleanliness of the hospital from the patients and their families.

Almost all patients expressed satisfaction with the cleanliness of the hospitals. The Minister asked if the cleanliness was maintained regularly or if it was due to the inspection.

Patients and their families confirmed that the hospital maintains cleanliness consistently, and the hospital has good arrangements for hygiene.

Bharadwaj also spoke with the staff responsible for hospital cleanliness. Since these staff members are contractual workers, the Minister discussed whether they were facing any issues.

The staff confirmed that they receive their salaries on time and have no problems. To ensure continued satisfaction, the Health Minister suggested that periodic meetings be conducted between the hospital administration and these contractual workers to address any concerns.

This approach aims to prevent future issues and maintain the smooth functioning of hospital services, said the release.

Bharadwaj revealed that during his inspection at Doctor Hedgewar Hospital, a patient complained about a female sanitation worker in the hospital.

The patient alleged that the sanitation worker was taking money from people and breaking the queue, facilitating direct access to the doctor for treatment.

Taking prompt action, the Minister immediately summoned the sanitation worker to investigate the truth of the accusation.

In a closed-door meeting, Bharadwaj questioned both the sanitation worker and the doctors present about any instances where patients complained about demands for bribes by sanitation or security staff to expedite medical consultations. The doctors unequivocally denied any such practices.

Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, in pursuit of more concrete details, engaged directly with several patients present at the hospital during his visit.

He attempted to understand if there have been any instances where cleaning staff, security personnel or any other hospital employees solicited bribes for expedited medical treatment.

Despite thorough inquiries, the patients unanimously denied any experience of bribery. Even a patient who had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for the last about eight months affirmed that there had been no demand for bribes during this period.

The Health Minister, exercising caution, instructed the hospital administration to conduct a comprehensive investigation.

He also emphasized the need for heightened vigilance to ensure that such complaints do not arise in the future, maintaining the hospital's reputation for integrity and credibility.