Delhi government awaken after tragic incident in government hospital

New Delhi: In the wake of tragic incidence of failure of oxygen supply in the ICU of the GNCTD’s Sushruta Trauma Centre in North Delhi, Dr. A.K. Walia, Health Minister today constituted a four-member Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arun Kumar Agarwal, Dean, Maulana Azad Medical College to review the existing medical procedures and facilities in Delhi Government Hospitals and make recommendations for modernization, strengthening and up-gradation of the system. The systems, he said, will be over-hauled based on the status and requirements of each hospital. The members of the Committee are Dr. D.K. Tempe, Director Professor & Head (Department of Anaesthesia), G.B. Pant Hospital; Dr. U.C. Verma, Director Professor. (Department of Anaesthesia), Lok Nayak Hospital; Dr. A.K. Sethi and Head of the Anaesthesia Department, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. The Health Minister took above decision while reviewing the situation of existing health facilities and procedures in Delhi Government Hospitals at a meeting attended by the Secretary, Health & FW and Medical Superintendents of various Delhi Government Hospitals. He added that the Committee would have expert inputs from the Medical Superintendents of G.B. Pant Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital and GTB Hospital. The Committee would visit the hospitals and submit a detailed report within a fortnight. Dr. Walia said that the Committee has been directed to come out with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be implemented in Delhi Government Hospitals. The Minister said that the Health Department will take appropriate action on the findings and recommendations of the Committee so that such tragic incidents are not repeated in future. The existing system, Dr. Walia said, will be upgraded and strengthened and will be provided with complete administrative, financial and technical support. Dr. Walia informed that the Committee set-up yesterday to examine and report on the incident at Shushruta Trauma Centre was directed to submit its report within three days. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the officials found guilty of mis-conduct or dereliction of duty. He added that a FIR has already been lodged against the contractor and the Police has been asked to expedite the matter. The Health Minister informed that the Delhi Government will set up a Bio-Engineering Cell at the State level in Maulana Azad Medical College with inputs and support from Delhi IIT. The Cell will examine the existing system and lay down procedure for its up-gradation in the hospitals. Dr. Walia directed the Medical Superintendents to continuously and critically examine all the services which have been outsourced. It must also be ensured whether the staff posted is qualified to perform the job or not. He said that the point of outsourcing must also be the point of accountability. The contract system has to be scrupulously supervised. It must be continuously appraised for its status and performance. At the apex level in hospitals, said the Minister, there must be well laid down procedure. The Medical Superintendents must own the responsibility of effective administration and management of the hospital. It should be followed by Deputy Medical Superintendents / Assistant Medical Superintendents as per protocol. The para-medical staff must be provided with in-house training so that there is better sensitization towards performance of their duties. There should be, he said, a protocol where responsibilities are fixed so that in case of any violation, disciplinary action is taken against the defaulting personnel. Regular watch and monitoring must be kept on regular staff also and any dereliction of duty must be seriously viewed. Dr. Walia said that Delhi Government is seriously and regularly working to make its hospitals fire-safe as per the guidelines and procedure laid down by the Delhi Fire Service. Five posts of Fire Safety Officers have been created to take care of fire safety stipulations. Each Officer will have a cluster of hospitals under his supervision. He said that 16 hospitals have already been cleared by Delhi Fire Service. Six of its hospitals do not need fire safety clearance as per standard requirement of the department. The remaining 16 hospitals are undergoing finishing work as suggested by Delhi Fire Service. He said that it is expected that very shortly all Delhi Government Hospitals will become fire safe as per requirement of Delhi Fire Service.