FGG seeks Governor’s help for probe into Gandhi Hospital ‘shortcomings’

‘Hospital superintendent had written to the government seeking additional facilities’

Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has urged Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to direct Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to order a vigilance probe into the “inadequate medical and health infrastructure” at Gandhi Hospital and why ‘shortcomings’ highlighted by the superintendent have been ‘side-stepped’ by the department concerned.

In a communication to the Governor, a copy of which was released to the media recently, forum secretary M. Padmanabha Reddy informed that the hospital superintendent had written to the government seeking more security personnel and sanitary staff, better the quality of lab reagents on a regular basis, recruitment of lab technicians and medical staff regularly and so on.

This was in response to adverse reports in a section of the media highlighting that patients were being forced to seek services of private labs, which have mushroomed outside the hospital, for even basic tests where the prices are very high with the hospital not conducting any such tests. Some of the labs did not have proper registrations too and could be in collusion with the hospital staff.

FGG sent a report to the principal secretary of medical and health seeking remedial action way back in 2017, but the official in turn sent the representation to the Director of Medical Education, who in turn, sought an explanation from the then superintendent without taking any action.

After the superintendent replied with his suggestions, the then principal secretary, without addressing these pressing issues, had given the following instructions: Installation of CCTV systems, strengthening security, issuing ID cards to staff, biometric controlled access doors and availability of expert doctors round the clock.

“There is no relation with these instructions and the shortcomings highlighted by the superintendent. No wonder people preferred paying exorbitant fees to join private hospitals during this COVID pandemic since Gandhi Hospital is neglected by the government,” charged Mr. Reddy.

The medical and health department has totally neglected public health despite the High Court passing strictures against its functioning, he said, seeking her immediate intervention into the raging public issue.

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