Prayagraj: District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma on Wednesday conducted a surprise inspection of Swaroop Rani Hospital to assess the facilities and arrangements available to patients and issued necessary directives to all officials concerned. The visit comes a day after divisional commissioner Lokesh M pulled up the hospital authorities on Tuesday for serious lapses in cleanliness, patient care, infection control and hospital services. The DM visited the neurosurgery and nephrology OPD rooms, where he inquired about the patients visiting the OPD and the daily patient volume from the respective doctors. Additionally, he inspected the CT scan room, medicine distribution centre, Jan Aushadhi Kendra, trauma centre, X-ray room and other medical units. The DM also ordered that explanations be sought from ward boy Som Singh (orthopedics ward No. 1) and Shahid Ali (orthopedics ward No. 2) for their absence. He also directed the service provider agencies supplying staff to the hospital to schedule duties according to the roster and ensure staff attendance. Verma also issued strict instructions that medicines available outside the hospital formulary should not be prescribed under any circumstances. He directed that if a specific medicine is unavailable in the hospital, those available at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra should be prescribed instead. He visited the medicine distribution counter, checked the prescriptions held by waiting patients, and personally verified the availability of medicines at the counter. He instructed staff to guide patients to the Jan Aushadhi Kendra located within the hospital premises. Verma instructed the drug inspector to regularly inspect the stock at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra and directed the centre in charge to ensure that the medicines stocked comply with established standards. He also emphasised that no unauthorised persons should be found loitering within the hospital premises. The principal of MLN Medical College informed DM that there is only one MRI machine in the hospital and there was a need for additional equipment. Upon visiting the X-ray room and inquiring about the number of patients examined, DM instructed that patients be provided with the X-ray report alongside the X-ray film. During the inspection of the trauma centre, he reviewed the operational arrangements and emphasised the need to maintain proper cleanliness and ensure the regular changing of bedsheets for admitted patients. He further directed that patients and their attendants be treated courteously. The DM also inspected the ‘Maa Ki Rasoi’ (Kitchen facility) at the hospital, commending the cleanliness and the quality of the food served at the hospital.
