Health minister Tej Pratap on Thursday got first-hand experience of the state of affairs at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS).
He learnt that doctors don't do rounds of the wards, and sanitation too is a major issue. The health minister reached the hospital around 1.20pm and spent around 40 minutes there. He visited patients' wards, the attendants' area and checked the CT-scan machine, cardiac catheterisation laboratory and other diagnostic facilities.
At the indoor wing of the hospital, Tej Pratap met Dhirendra Prasad Yadav, who was accompanying a patient Dhiru Kumar. Dhirendra complained that they had been waiting for almost two hours, but no doctor had turned up.
"Dhiru is suffering from high fever," Dhirendra said. "I'm trying to get a doctor to check him. Doctors should visit all wards."
Tej Pratap noted down Dhirendra's complaint and directed IGIMS director N.R. Biswas to look after the patient.
"Doctors should visit the wards," the minister said.
Hospital sources said that if a doctor is available on the premises, it takes 30 minutes to attend to such calls. But if the doctor has gone out, the call is attended to within an hour.
Tej Pratap then went to check another patient, Anil Kumar Yadav (40), in another ward. Anil later told The Telegraph that he urged the minister to ensure better treatment at the hospital.
In the attendants' area (where those accompanying patients take rest), Tej Pratap lost his cool on seeing people sleeping on the floor.
"Who are these people," he asked Biswas. Told that they were accompanying patients, he made his irritation known.
"It is not looking nice that they are sleeping on the floor," Tej Pratap said. "Please make proper arrangement for the attendants. They are not supposed to be treated like this in hospital. "
Biswas told Pratap that the hospital was working on a plan to create shelters for the attendants.
"The building construction and road construction departments have provided funds, as part of their corporate social responsibility, to build shelters for attendants of patients," the IGIMS director said. "Shelters will be built soon for the attendants."
Biswas told The Telegaph the hospital administration raised fund-related issues with the minister during Thursday's visit.
"We told the minister about the state government's delay in processing Rs 33.06 crore meant for upgrading the Regional Cancer Institute into a State Cancer Institute," Biswas said. "The Union government has already provided the funds, but the state government has not been able to process it to us. As a result, work is stalled. We also apprised the minister about delay in release of funds for the medical college project. In the first phase, only around Rs 50 crore out of Rs 151 crore was released. I requested the health minister to provide the rest."
Biswas claimed a few patients in the wards were trying to unnecessarily grab attention by complaining to the health minister.
"Such visits keep the hospital administration on its toes," a patient said on condition of anonymity. "We hope the young minister is able to make the doctors work properly."
