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Follow SOPs strictly: Principal secy to civil hospital Ludhiana authorities
During his visit to the civil hospital, the principal secretary took a tour of the emergency, trauma, and other wards. He also held a half-hour meeting with the senior medical officer (SMO) and doctors to address their concerns
: In the wake of a patient’s death by falling from a stretcher in the civil hospital here, principal secretary, health and family welfare, Vivek Pratap Singh, on Monday conducted a review of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines to ensure patient safety at the medical facility.
During his visit to the civil hospital, the principal secretary took a tour of the emergency, trauma, and other wards. He also held a half-hour meeting with the senior medical officer (SMO) and doctors to address their concerns.
He was accompanied by health and family welfare department director Adarshpal Kaur, deputy director Dr. Hitinder Kaur, and Faridkot civil surgeon Dr. Anil.
In the meeting, the principal secretary stressed strict adherence to the SOPs formulated by a state-level committee following the deputy commissioner’s investigation into the incident.
He highlighted the importance of error-free patient care while acknowledging the workload and manpower challenges faced by doctors and staff. He said that efforts are on to address these challenges, with interim solutions including the utilisation of postgraduate students and house surgeons, along with the redirection of surplus staff from health centers to the Ludhiana civil hospital.
Acknowledging the health department’s shortage of staff, particularly the challenges in filling specialist positions in civic-run facilities, Singh said, “Efforts are underway to recruit 300 doctors along with nursing staff and multipurpose health workers. The recruitment processes will be initiated through advertisements and examinations by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.”
To address healthcare provider shortages, he said the department is also considering binding medical postgraduate students to serve in government hospitals during their studies. Additionally, there will be efforts to re-allocate nursing staff from areas with a surplus to those with shortages.
In addition to addressing staff shortages, the principal secretary emphasised maximising treatments under the Ayushman Bharat Insurance Scheme to boost hospital revenue.
He said a digital transformation is planned for government hospitals in five districts of Punjab, modeled after common man clinics. This initiative will digitise the entire healthcare system, from patient registration in the outpatient department to medical prescriptions and medicine dispensation, enhancing transparency and efficiency in hospital operations. The implementation of this digital system is expected within the next six months at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital.
