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

Vijayawada: A major administrative lapse has come to light at NTR Hospital in Anakapalle, where former District Coordinator of Health Services (DCHS), nine doctors, and 12 nurses are reported to face 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) has been accused of failing to enforce staff attendance and neglecting key supervisory responsibilities. Nine doctors are accused of negligence, and 12 nurses are accused of patient overexposure, poor hygiene, lack of diet charts, and improper medicine documentation.

The irregularities were flagged after an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) report was prepared following a surprise inspection conducted in February 2020. In their report submitted in June this year, they pointed out several lapses, such as unauthorised canteen operations, failure to disclose patient meal details, irregular civil works, poor food quality monitoring, and mismanagement of hospital duties.

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In addition to the medical staff, the report flagged a driver for misusing fuel worth Rs 74,000 and a sanitation worker who was found performing unauthorised medical dressing duties.

Based on the ACB report, the Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has ordered a swift inquiry into these serious irregularities. Further, the report also recommended disciplinary action against the accused employees.

Reaffirming his commitment to reform public healthcare, Minister Yadav told TNIE, "The move underscores the government’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption and inefficiency." He further called the ACB report a reminder of past administrative failures and assured continued reforms to restore public confidence in government hospitals and ensure better service delivery.

In recent months, the government has reassigned hospital superintendents, medical college principals, office superintendents, and clerical staff to plug loopholes in governance. Non-performers were removed and replacements appointed on merit. Field-level officers, including District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs), were instructed to ensure strict implementation of health schemes and maintain discipline in operations.

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