Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Thursday conducted a surprise inspection at four city government-run hospitals, and at one of the facilities reprimanded the administration for negligence in cleanliness and directed strict action against the officials responsible, according to an official statement.
Additionally, he issued "stern orders for stringent action" against the company responsible for hospital cleanliness, it said. A day earlier he had inspected four hospitals, including Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, Acharya Bhikshu Hospital, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital, and N C Joshi Hospital.
Bhardwaj had sought a probe against a staffer of the N C Joshi Hospital following allegations that he took bribes for facilitating treatment at the facility. On Thursday, he visited Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Indira Gandhi Hospital, and Sushruta Trauma Centre, officials said.
During the inspection, Bhardwaj noticed "lapses" in cleanliness at the Sushruta Trauma Centre, the statement said."Discussions revealed that the number of sanitation staff on duty did not match the attendance recorded in the register. The health minister immediately ordered all cleaning staff to gather at a designated location within the hospital premises," it said.
He discovered that the actual number of cleaning staff present was "significantly lower" than what was registered, and the sanitation system was "not up to the mark", the statement said. Bhardwaj reprimanded the hospital administration for the negligence and directed strict action against the officials responsible.