The Hindu : New Delhi News : Health Secretary warns Govt. hospitals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 04, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Health Secretary warns Govt. hospitals

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Strict action in case patients referred to them by his office "were treated casually"

NEW DELHI: The Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary, P. K. Hota, has warned government hospitals in the Capital of strict action in case patients referred to them by his office "were treated casually or were neglected''.

In an order sent specifically to Safdurjung Hospital and later duplicated as general instruction for government hospitals, Mr. Hota said: "It has come to my notice that cases referred to Safdurjung and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital by my office have been taken very casually. Recently I sent one patient to the Medical Superintendent of Safdurjung Hospital who referred the patient to the casualty as the condition of the patient was very serious. The patient was treated very badly and negligently and as a consequence died a day later.''

The one-page note sent to hospitals as instruction on how to handle patient's further notes that what happened at Safdurjung Hospital wasn't a one-time occurrence. "This is not the first time that patients were treated badly. In the past also patients referred by the Secretary's office were not properly attended to. This shows how serious we are in treating the patients and how much care we take in saving their lives.''

Issuing guidelines on the protocol to be followed, Mr. Hota said: "In future the Medical Superintendents are requested to give strict order in their office that in their absence, the personal section of the Medical Superintendent should refer the patient to the acting Medical Superintendent or additional Medical Superintendent who will be on duty in the absence of the Medical Superintendent and whose prime duty will be to (a) refer patient to the doctor concerned with the reference of the health secretary (b) give feed back to me or my private secretary about the condition of the patient and (c) the treatment given should also be informed to me or my office. Any lapse on the above order by any doctor will be taken to task as per conduct rules.''

Medical Superintendent of RML Hospital N. K. Chaturvedi said: "Every patient who comes to us is important and these set of guidelines are general instructions for all Govt. hospitals.''

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