Delhi infant deaths: LG orders ACB probe into registrations of all nursing homes

ACB will ascertain the number of nursing homes functioning without valid registrations and whether those having valid registrations are complying with the law.

Citing a fire at the New Born Baby Care hospital in Vivek Vihar last Saturday that claimed the lives of six infants, lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena on Tuesday ordered the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) to comprehensively probe the registration of nursing homes in Delhi, to ascertain how many were working without valid registrations or complying with norms.

Civic officials inspect the site of the hospital, which went up in flames on Saturday night. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

In a letter to the chief secretary (CS) of Delhi, Naresh Kumar, a copy of which was accessed by HT, Saxena said that there was “absence of ministerial oversight” in regulatory management of private health facilities in the city, along with “mismanagement, criminal neglect and connivance of government officials” in granting and renewing the registration of nursing homes. He said that of 1,190 nursing homes in Delhi, over a quarter were operating without a valid registration.

“It may be clearly ascertained during investigation whether the grant of registration or its renewal by the health department was done after 100% site inspection. Is there a proper checklist to ensure whether the facility meets the requisite safety norms and has the medical infrastructure and professionals, as provided under law? The ACB may also determine the connivance and complicity of public servants of the health department concerned and bring out the criminal misconduct and negligence in this matter,” the LG said.

Officials from the LG’s office said ACB will ascertain the number of nursing homes functioning without valid registrations and whether those having valid registrations are complying with the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953 and rules made thereunder.

Pointing out that the incident “put a serious question mark” on ministerial responsibility in a matter directly related to the health and lives of Delhi residents, Saxena said he was disappointed by the comments from ministers.

“Even after a tragedy of this magnitude, which should have stirred the conscience of political leadership, I am disappointed that the chief minister and minister have paid only lip service and given sound bites, finding alibis and shirking responsibility. Administration cannot be run on social media, nor by brushing such serious matters under the carpet,” the LG said.

He directed the CS to ensure all district magistrates hold field inspections of all nursing facilities in their respective areas within two weeks to ascertain the number of functional nursing homes, which can then be compared with the health department’s list. “This would give a sense of the magnitude of the problem and the extent of violations in the city,” the LG said.

“The very existence of such nursing homes that serve the poor and not so well off sections of the society speaks volumes on the larger issue of severe lack of public health infrastructure in the national capital as well. This is a larger issue which has been left neglected, contrary to the claims in public domain,” the LG said.

He further directed the CS to provide the public with details of all nursing homes through an online portal.

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“It has also come to my notice that even in this day and age, the registration procedure for nursing homes in Delhi is conducted manually, which leaves a lot of room for discretion, ambiguity and corruption. Chief Secretary may accordingly ensure that an online portal is made operational with all data of compliances, registration and validity, which is open for public scrutiny,” the LG said.

He also pointed to a high court case, wherein the Delhi health minister appeared in person in April and said a committee would be formed within four weeks on matters related to public health, saying nothing was done in that regard.

In response, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that the health secretary could not be contacted and despite apprising the LG about the same, no action was taken.

Health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj wrote to the Union home secretary, seeking action against Delhi health secretary SB Deepak Kumar, on the grounds that despite repeated attempts to contact Kumar, he did not respond even as Delhi witnessed a major fire that left six infants dead.

In the letter, a copy of which was accessed by HT, Bhardwaj said that when he came to know about the incident, he immediately called the health secretary, but did not receive a response to calls or text messages. In an emergency meeting of the department the following day, the health secretary was not present and the special secretary informed that he was on leave, Bhardwaj wrote.

“I am surprised that the health secretary did not inform the health minister of any such leave,” Bhardwaj said, adding that the health secretary did not appoint a link officer either to handle things in his absence.

Bhardwaj said that due to the secretary’s absence, he has not been able to face the questions raised by the media.

He said he would have addressed the letter “ideally” to LG, but from his experience over the past two years, he has seen that the LG never acts against erring officials in such cases. “Despite repeatedly informing the LG that the health secretary was not following, he did not take any action against him... The LG did not refrain from politics even on the death of innocent children. He has still not asked the health secretary for a report or response on this issue. It only shows that the LG protects officials who do not follow the directions of ministers,” Bhardwaj said.

He said that he was hopeful of strict action against the senior IAS official from the home ministry for not performing his duties and remaining silent at a critical juncture.