The Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital in Bhagalpur. Telegraph picture

Bhagalpur, May 11: The state health department has decided to set up closed circuit cameras at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JNMCH) to monitor presence of the doctors, other employees and the treatment of the patients in the wake of the death of a tribal woman, Moj Tuddu, while delivering a baby on May 8.

Apart from that, the surveillance, health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey has also instructed the JNMCH administration to set up touch screen card swipe machine to record the attendance of the doctors and other service employees. JNMCH falls in Choubey’s Assembly constituency.

He has been facing the heat from the locals, who created ruckus at the hospital claiming “neglect” on the part of the doctors who caused the woman’s death.

JNMCH superintendent has sent a report with details of the circumstances in which Moj Tuddu died. Sources said the report has failed to satisfy the minister.

“We will soon send a team of senior doctors from the state headquarters to examine the actual reason of the tribal woman’s death”, the minister told The Telegraph over the phone.

Though the casualty with Tuddu happened in the gynaecology ward, the minister has instructed the JNMCH administration to set up the closed- circuit cameras in all the wards of the hospital to minimise the scope of the casual way of doing the things.

JNMCH superintendent Bindu Kumar said the government was in the process of sanctioning the amount for the surveillance equipment and touch screen.

“We, too, have begun the formalities to set up the devices. We will bring out the tender for the same within two weeks,” Bindu said.

While the surveillance equipment would be set up in all the wards, the main entrance door of the hospital would have the touch screen. Doctors and other employees have to register their presence through their identity cards, the superintendent said.

Sources said the government wanted the senior doctors to retire voluntarily. Over half-a-dozen employees of the hospital have already tendered their voluntary retirement on the grounds of ill-health to the superintendent while more than another 30 were mulling with the idea, added the source.

Bindu, who held a special meeting with senior doctors at the surgery department on May 9, has discussed the ways for improving the services in the hospital. The hospital management has restricted the crowd of patients inside the intensive care unit in the wake of the Toddu’s death.

“Only one attendant can be with a patient. The two hours — from 6pm — has been allotted as visiting hour for the outsiders,” the source said. The source also said because of the crowd of attendants, the environment inside the ICU and wards had gone downhill in the hospital.