NEW DELHI: Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj directed the Chief Secretary to personally visit one government hospital and mohalla clinic daily and interact with patients and their attendants to get direct feedback on the "shortage" of medicines and consumables. Has given, officials said on Wednesday.
He said that the top bureaucrat of Delhi government has also been instructed to give daily report.
The minister said ground reports clearly indicate a "tragic shortage" of free medicines, while the chief secretary and health secretary have said every patient is getting all the necessary medicines or their suitable substitutes.
There was no immediate response from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar or Health Secretary SB Deepak Kumar on the claims and allegations of senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj, in a file note, referred to a meeting held on April 8 and said the chief secretary, health secretary and director general health services had informed him that all medicines were available in hospitals, and if nothing was available, their Substitutes are being made available.
"In order to have direct and true experience with regard to shortage of essential medicines and consumables in hospitals, it is directed that instead of taking the shield of various rule posts, the Chief Secretary should personally visit one Delhi Government hospital and one Mohalla Clinic should be visited.The note said, OPD (Outpatient Department) timings are from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm.
The Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to interact with the patients and their attendants in the waiting area near the pharmacy counters and inquire from them whether the medicines prescribed by the hospital doctors have been provided or not.
Bhardwaj has also asked the Chief Secretary to share the daily roster for the next two weeks and send him daily reports in a specific format about the situation.
The Health Minister, in a note dated April 12, said the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary have "clearly misled" both the government and the Legislative Assembly regarding the availability of medicines.
The issue of shortage of medicines and alleged attempts to stop lab tests at Mohalla clinics was discussed by the Assembly in the session that ended earlier this month.On 8 April, the Assembly discussed the issue through 'Special Mention' under Rule 54. Several AAP MLAs claimed to have evidence about the shortage of medicines in Delhi government hospitals.
The Health Secretary was present in the gallery at the time of the discussion.
"The Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary should explain why they have misled the undersigned (Health Minister) as well as the Delhi Assembly by giving a misleading report," Bhardwaj said in the note.
He claimed that the Chief Secretary later made a "frivolous excuse" that all the routine files of the departments are not sent through him, so he cannot monitor the availability of medicines and consumables.
Even during the tenure of earlier Chief Secretaries, regular files of the departments were never sent through the Chief Secretary.However, the minister said in the note that the responsibility of supervision over department secretaries always rests with the Chief Secretary.
Bhardwaj said he ordered that specific instructions given to the Chief Secretary regarding availability of medicines should be complied with without any excuse.
He said that the top bureaucrat of Delhi government has also been instructed to give daily report.
The minister said ground reports clearly indicate a "tragic shortage" of free medicines, while the chief secretary and health secretary have said every patient is getting all the necessary medicines or their suitable substitutes.
There was no immediate response from Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar or Health Secretary SB Deepak Kumar on the claims and allegations of senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj, in a file note, referred to a meeting held on April 8 and said the chief secretary, health secretary and director general health services had informed him that all medicines were available in hospitals, and if nothing was available, their Substitutes are being made available.
"In order to have direct and true experience with regard to shortage of essential medicines and consumables in hospitals, it is directed that instead of taking the shield of various rule posts, the Chief Secretary should personally visit one Delhi Government hospital and one Mohalla Clinic should be visited.The note said, OPD (Outpatient Department) timings are from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm.
The Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to interact with the patients and their attendants in the waiting area near the pharmacy counters and inquire from them whether the medicines prescribed by the hospital doctors have been provided or not.
Bhardwaj has also asked the Chief Secretary to share the daily roster for the next two weeks and send him daily reports in a specific format about the situation.
The Health Minister, in a note dated April 12, said the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary have "clearly misled" both the government and the Legislative Assembly regarding the availability of medicines.
The issue of shortage of medicines and alleged attempts to stop lab tests at Mohalla clinics was discussed by the Assembly in the session that ended earlier this month.On 8 April, the Assembly discussed the issue through 'Special Mention' under Rule 54. Several AAP MLAs claimed to have evidence about the shortage of medicines in Delhi government hospitals.
The Health Secretary was present in the gallery at the time of the discussion.
"The Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary should explain why they have misled the undersigned (Health Minister) as well as the Delhi Assembly by giving a misleading report," Bhardwaj said in the note.
He claimed that the Chief Secretary later made a "frivolous excuse" that all the routine files of the departments are not sent through him, so he cannot monitor the availability of medicines and consumables.
Even during the tenure of earlier Chief Secretaries, regular files of the departments were never sent through the Chief Secretary.However, the minister said in the note that the responsibility of supervision over department secretaries always rests with the Chief Secretary.
Bhardwaj said he ordered that specific instructions given to the Chief Secretary regarding availability of medicines should be complied with without any excuse.
