AP Health Minister orders action against 11 Gudivada Govt Hospital staff

Gudivada: Altogether, 11 staff members at Gudivada Government Area Hospital are facing disciplinary action over alleged negligence, mismanagement and dereliction of duty. Those under scrutiny include the former hospital superintendent, six doctors, two nursing superintendents, an administrative officer, and a pharmacist.

These staff members have been accused of repeatedly ignoring audit warnings and compromising patient welfare. They were found responsible for serious lapses, including poor supervision, irregularities in drug stock, unhygienic conditions, substandard food quality, and lack of cleanliness. Their failure to perform their duties properly has now led to disciplinary action being taken against them.

Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Minister Satya Kumar Yadav ordered the action after reviewing a report by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The ACB conducted a surprise two-day inspection at the hospital in February 2020, after receiving complaints about irregularities.

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After the inspection, they prepared a report about the serious lapses found inside the hospital, which mentioned that sub-standard food was being served to the patients, cleanliness was not up to the mark, and gloves and medical kits were lying scattered on the hospital premises. The report pointed to errors in patient details and discrepancies in registering stocks of medicines.

It also highlighted that despite several internal audit warnings issued between 2014 and 2018, no proper steps were taken to fix the problems. Meanwhile, payments amounting to several lakhs were made to a driver for unrelated tasks, while a long-unused vehicle remained unattended.

Nursing superintendents and pharmacists were held accountable for lapses in medicine supply and failure to maintain basic hygiene standards, including the daily changing of patient blankets, reports TNIE.

Criticising the accused staff for endangering the patient's lives, Yadav said, “The repeated emergence of such cases reflects the irresponsibility and irregularities that plagued government hospitals under the previous administration. Strict action would be taken against the guilty. We will remain committed to enhancing supervision and raising healthcare standards in state-run facilities."

Just two weeks ago, he ordered a similar probe into 22 staff members at Anakapalle Government Hospital, based on another ACB report from 2020. Medical Dialogues had reported that a major administrative lapse surfaced at NTR Hospital in Anakapalle, where former District Coordinator of Health Services (DCHS), nine doctors, and 12 nurses faced disciplinary action for their involvement in serious misconduct and alleged negligence uncovered in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) inspection.

Among the 22 accused employees, the former District Coordinator of Health Services (DCHS) was accused of failing to enforce staff attendance and neglecting key supervisory responsibilities. Nine doctors were accused of negligence, and 12 nurses were accused of patient overexposure, poor hygiene, lack of diet charts, and improper medicine documentation.

Also read- Health Minister orders inquiry into Anakapalli DCHS, 21 Medical staff over irregularities