Displeased with the poor upkeep of Hazaribagh Sadar Hospital, state health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi on Sunday gave civil surgeon Dharmveer a week's time to improve the infrastructure and facilities at the heal hub.

"I have given the authorities seven days' time to improve the scenario, including treatment facilities, medicine availability and cleanliness," Chandravanshi, who made a surprise stop at the state-run hospital around 11.30am, said.

The minister, along with BJP MLA Manish Jaiswal, stayed at the sadar hospital premises for a good two hours.

They made a tour of the hospital, including outpatient department (OPD), the male ward as well as the comparatively new regional hospital building and the trauma centre, on the same premises.

The minister squarely blamed Dharmveer's "irresponsible attitude" for the sorry state of the hospital.

For instance, when he asked for the duty chart of doctors at the OPD, civil surgeon Dharmveer and hospital superintendent S.R. Dangi failed to produce it.

At the male ward too, the health minister was shocked to find patients who had got their X-rays done at private clinics.

When the minister spoke to a few of them, he found out that they had even bought medicines from retail shops and that the hospital had not providing them supplies they were entitled to.

When Dharmveer said there was no fund to purchase medicines, the health minister promised him to sanction the largesse as soon as possible.

"Start the generic medicine shop and put up a list of medicines available there," Chandravanshi instructed.

Lack of medicines apart, the minister was visibly displeased with the dirty four-storey building and the work culture. At the regional hospital, which came into existence in 2012, the minister wondered why it was not yet operational.

When the minister found out that the trauma centre, also on the same campus, was yet to start functioning due to shortage of doctors and nurses, he said he would allot postings. "I hope both the trauma centre and the regional hospital start functioning by May."

Earlier, Chandravanshi Samaj at Jain dharmashala felicitated the health minister.#