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Ahead of house panel visit, officials rush to clean up Ludhiana civil hospital
An official notice issued by the hospital to all officers and employees stated that “DH/SDHs are expected to be visited by higher officials,” demanding “free medicine availability, USG/X-rays as per guidelines, cleanliness”
In a last-minute scramble, the Ludhiana Civil Hospital is undergoing a major cover-up operation ahead of a visit by the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Standing Committee on Thursday. The visit, deemed “of paramount importance” by an official circular, has thrown the hospital into a tizzy, with staff leave requests being denied and efforts underway to hide long-standing issues plaguing the facility.
An official notice issued by the hospital to all officers and employees stated that “DH/SDHs are expected to be visited by higher officials,” demanding “free medicine availability, USG/X-rays as per guidelines, cleanliness.” The notice further warns staff to “not give a reason for complaints,” urging them to be “alert” and supervise their departments.
A senior doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We have been told to keep the hospital ready and tidy with all its operations, medicine supply and overall functioning streamlined. This is purely a surface exercise to hide the numerous problems the hospital faces daily.”
These problems include a lack of proper signage, sewage management issues in the Mother and Child Hospital, absence of suggestion and complaint boxes, broken washrooms and inoperable drinking water taps.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on health and family welfare is responsible for overseeing the functioning of the ministry of health and family welfare. The committee’s mandate includes reviewing grant demands, examining bills and considering annual reports.
Civil surgeon Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh affirmed the routine nature of such visits, attributing the committee’s presence to standard review procedures aimed at assessing the hospital’s efficacy.