Reply sought from PGIMS HoDs over non-availability of surgical material

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, June 13

The administration of the PGIMS here has sought explanation from the heads of three surgical departments over the issue of patients being forced to buy costly surgical material from private vendors.

Depts asked to list required drugs

The state government provides a wide range of medicines and surgical consumables. Still, there are complaints of the medicines and other consumables required at different departments not being available. The departments will be asked to list their requirements so that the requisite drugs and material can be made available to them. — Anita Saxena, vice-chancellor, Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences

The step was taken after the authorities of Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences (UHS) and PGIMS-Rohtak took cognisance of a news report highlighting the plight of poor patients published in these columns.

According to official sources, the Heads of the Departments of Urology, Orthopaedic Surgery and General Surgery were called to the office of the PGIMS Medical Superintendent and asked to explain their position in this regard.

Meanwhile, the UHS authorities have also swung into action following the publication of news reports titled “Patients at Rohtak PGIMS made to buy costly surgical material from shops” and “Govt labs shut in evening, PGI patients pay through nose” on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Anita Saxena took a round of the institute, inspected different facilities and issued directions to the PGIMS administrative officials on Wednesday.

“After reading the said news reports and going through complaints received in this regard, I have convened a meeting of the faculty members of the departments concerned to streamline the system and plug the loopholes therein,” the VC told The Tribune.

She said a stricter mechanism would be developed in order to ensure optimum utilisation of the medicines and other consumables provided by the government.

The VC said the doctors conducting the pre-anaesthetic checkup would be directed to do it timely and the timings of the institute’s labs would be extended so that the investigations could be done at the PGIMS.

“Inspection teams will be deployed to visit the hospital to check whether any malpractices are still prevalent. If so, feedback will be obtained from the patients, doctors and other staff members and prompt action taken against those found responsible for the lapses/wrongdoings,” she said.