Visit govt hospitals, mohalla clinics: Delhi Health Minister to Chief Secretary

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 17

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has directed the Chief Secretary (CS) to visit Delhi government hospitals and mohalla clinics daily to verify the claims of availability of medicines and also provide the roster of his visit and share the daily report.

‘Misleading govt on medicine availability’

• Health Minster Saurabh Bhardwaj blamed the CS and Secretary (Health) for blatantly misleading both the government and the Legislative Assembly regarding the availability of medicines
• During the Legislative Assembly discussion, numerous MLAs vehemently refuted the false claims made by the CS
• “The CS was asked to ensure supply of medicines, and he is trying to take shelter of Rules of Business of Delhi Legislative Assembly. He could have spent those efforts in working for people of Delhi,” the Health Minister said

The office of the Health Minister observed last week that there was severe shortage of free medicines at Delhi hospitals. The minister pulled up the CS and the Health Secretary over the non-availability of medicines.

The minister had on Friday communicated that the ground reports indicated a distressing scarcity of free medicines, however, it is asserted by the CS and Secretary (Health) that every patient is indeed receiving all essential medications or suitable alternatives.

The Health Minster’s office blamed the CS and Secretary (Health) for blatantly misleading both the government and the Legislative Assembly regarding the availability of medicines.

During the Legislative Assembly discussion, numerous MLAs vehemently refuted the false claims made by the CS. “The CS was asked to ensure supply of medicines, and he is trying to take shelter of Rules of Business of Delhi Legislative Assembly. He could have spent those efforts in working for people of Delhi,” the Health Minister said.

“Instead of looking for new frivolous excuses every time, the CS should do positive work as directed by the government,” the Health Minister said. His office further said as an afterthought, the CS made a frivolous excuse that all routine files of departments are not routed through the CS and thus he cannot supervise the availability of medicines and consumables.

The Health Minister has mandated that specific directions to the CS regarding availability of medicines need to be complied without any excuses.

“Historically, routine files of departments were never routed through the CS during the tenure of earlier Chief Secretaries from the tenure of SK Srivastava to Vijay Dev. However, the supervision over other departments secretaries is always the responsibility of the CS,” Bhardwaj said.

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