Health Minister finds deficiencies in PGIMS

Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, August 1
Haryana Health Minister Dr Kamal Gupta conducted a surprise inspection of the local PGIMS Trauma Centre on Thursday and found certain deficiencies in the services being provided there.
As per the doctors and staff members present there at the time of inspection, the minister expressed his displeasure over the fact that the air-conditioners were not working and there were flies inside the Trauma Centre.
A PGIMS staffer present on the occasion said Gupta also pointed out that some stretcher-trolleys were haphazardly arranged and bedsheets were not clean.
The minister, who himself is a doctor, gave a dressing down to the PGIMS officials and doctors on duty.
According to an official statement issued later in the day, the Health Minister directed the Vice-Chancellor of Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences and the PGIMS Director to take action against those responsible for the deficiencies and submit a report within two days.
“No doctor or other staff member should be negligent in attending to the patients. If any doctor or staff member shows negligence in this matter, the government will take strict action as per rules,” he warned.
Meanwhile, a senior official at the PGIMS later told The Tribune that it was just a matter of chance that the minister arrived at the Trauma Centre at the time when the air-conditioners were shut down for an hour for maintenance. “Since the air-conditioners were shut down, a few doors/windows of the centre had been opened, due to which some flies had entered the building,” conceded the official.
When contacted, PGIMS Director Dr SS Lohchab said the deficiencies pointed out by the minister would be removed and the report would be sent to him.
“Appropriate action would be taken in this regard,” he maintained. Earlier, a delegation of the PGIMS nurses’ association went to meet the minister to apprise him of their concerns.
The PGIMS nurses, who plan to go on a strike tomorrow, wanted an assurance from the minister, but he reportedly remained non-committal.
Hence, the proposed strike by nurses also remains a big challenge before the PGIMS administration.
Earlier in the day, the Health Minister visited the homes of some BJP workers, supporters and prominent residents of Rohtak at various places in the city and enquired about their well-being. He sought the opinion of the people about the schemes being run by the government and the services being provided to the citizens.
The minister felicitated Neetu, daughter of a local resident Satnarayan, for being selected as a science teacher.