Panchkula: Haryana health minister Aarti Singh Rao on Wednesday conducted a surprise inspection of the civil hospital in Panchkula’s sector 6 and pulled up officials over poor cleanliness and infrastructure lapses. Taking serious note of the irregularities, she summoned three doctors for failing to prescribe generic medicines and reprimanded the hospital administration over a leaking roof in the labour room.During inspection, the minister visited several departments, including the emergency ward, OPD, ICU, NICU, labour room, ENT and orthopaedics units, to review facilities and patient care. She also interacted with patients and their attendants to gather feedback regarding treatment, availability of medicines and overall hospital services. While many patients expressed satisfaction with the behaviour of doctors and nursing staff, the minister expressed strong displeasure over poor sanitation in parts of the hospital.Rao directed the hospital authorities to ensure strict cleanliness and sanitation standards across all wards. She also instructed the civil surgeon to improve the hospital’s air-conditioning arrangements in view of the approaching summer so that patients coming from distant areas do not face inconvenience.The minister also inspected the Jan Aushadhi centre operating under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana and reviewed the availability of medicines. During the visit, she summoned three doctors after it was found that they were not prescribing generic medicines as mandated under govt guidelines. She made it clear that prescribing medicines from outside without valid reasons would not be tolerated and directed the officials concerned that patients should receive medicines from the hospital itself, wherever available.While inspecting the labour room, the minister noticed a leaking roof and immediately reprimanded the principal medical officer. She also directed officials of the public works department to expedite the repair work and ensure that such lapses did not affect patient care.Rao also reviewed the security arrangements, particularly in the women’s ward, and directed the hospital administration to deploy additional security personnel, if required, to ensure the safety of female patients.The minister said as per the directions of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, govt hospitals in the state were being closely monitored to ensure better healthcare services, proper cleanliness and safe facilities for patients. She also asked the director general of the health department to submit a detailed report on the sanitation staff deployed in the hospital.Emphasising accountability, the minister said doctors and healthcare staff must discharge their duties with honesty and ensure that patients received proper treatment and facilities in govt hospitals.
