Team led by councillor finds ghost patients at ESI Hospital

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 16

A team of industrialists along with local councillor made a surprise check at the local ESI Hospital, Industrial Area, Phase VII, Mohali, on Wednesday and allegedly found 14 ghost patients admitted in the hospital records.

The team consisting of Satbir Singh Dhanoa, A Chaudhary, VK Singh, Baljit Singh and Jasbir Singh, chairman, labour laws committee, informed that on Wednesday night at about 8.00 pm they reached the hospital and found that there was no doctor present there.

Dr Harkamal Kaur had left her duty before time without handing over the charge to the second shift doctor Dr Modi. The night shift doctor Dr Arshdeep Singh also reached 25 minutes late after getting a phone call from the staff nurse present in the hospital.

On checking the roster the team members found that Dr Arshdeep Singh was not listed on duty and was only called by the staff nurse to show the presence of a doctor to the team.

The team noted that there were only four patients present at the hospital, while in the records 18 were shown admitted.

When local councillor Dhanoa asked the staff about the rest of the patients, the staff failed to provide any satisfactory reply.

The councillor informed the SMO Darshan Singh about the ‘fraud’. The SMO, while confirming the raid, said he had received a call from the team. The SMO added he had issued strict instructions to the doctors to not leave before the doctor on duty for next shift arrives. About the ghost in-patients, he said some patients prefer to go home instead of staying in the hospital after getting the treatment.

He said he had himself visited the hospital today and added he would soon initiate action to remove the shortcomings. The team further informed that there was no ambulance, no provision of food for the in-patients and there was no guard for the safety of patients..

“We have been highlighting the lack of facilities at the hospital from the past several years. The issue is in the notice of the higher authorities, but no efforts to improve the condition has been done,” said Jasbir.

The SMO said the request for providing the ambulance had been given to the higher authorities.