Minister exposes ills at Victoria
A surprise visit by Medical Education minister S A Ramdas to Victoria Hospital on Tuesday revealed poor hygienic conditions in wards, liquor bottles and used condoms strewn in toilets and misuse of canteens.
It came to light during the inspection that a total of five canteens were operating on the hospital premises. While one was let out to an ex-serviceman who had not paid rent totalling to Rs 1.50 lakh, another was let out for a monthly rent of Rs 4,000. The Hospital Employees’ Association collected the rent.
The minister ordered closure of all the canteens and suspended three maintenance staff members.
Ramdas noticed that of the 173 doctors in the Hospital, 82 were late and three were on leave.
He directed issue of notice to 73 absentee doctors giving them one week time to reply.
The hygiene in the female ward was even worse. The minister said that bedsheets and beds were torn, and a grade II nurse was suspended.
The store record keeping clerk in the kitchen was suspended for not maintaining the records properly. Suspension notices pending inquiry were issued to Dr Nazma, a PG student, for allegedly referring patients to private diagnostic centres and house surgeon Dr Pragna for prescribing medicines to patients without prior diagnosis and asking them to buy medicines from outside.
The minister also issued notice to Dr Prakash seeking explanation over maintenance of outpatient department records.
The Resident Medical Officer was directed to go on compulsory leave. Notice was issued to the Public Works Department for failing to operationalise the lift. The minister asked the assistant executive engineer to take necessary steps to install the lift immediately.
Even oxygen units were found to be ill maintained.
Inquiry panel
Ramdas suggested that the hospital change the agency to which its maintenance had been outsourced. Even the agency maintaining the Sulabh toilets should be removed, he ordered.
An official along with a retired judge will be appointed to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a report on adminsitrative reforms within 15 days. Hospital medical superintendent Dr B G Tilak said all the canteen structures will be demolished and a food court will be constructed.
As for patients being referred to get CT scans done outside, Tilak said that there was a delay in procuring the CT scanner for the hospital as it had to pay Rs 17 lakh to the company.
Tilak said there was a delay in obtaining approval for the payment. However, the CT scanner had begun functioning two days ago, Tilak said. He admitted that some doctors regularly came late to work.
