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Notices served to 12 hospitals for serious lapses found during inspections
Pune health officials issued show-cause notices to 12 hospitals for serious cleanliness lapses following inspections amid rising patient complaints.
The public health department has issued show-cause notices to the medical superintendents of 12 government hospitals across Pune, Satara and Solapur districts following serious lapses observed during recent surprise inspections, officials said on Monday. The notices were issued between October 13 and October 27, 2025.
Amid rising complaints about poor healthcare services and inconvenience faced by patients, health minister Prakash Abitkar on September 25, 2025 ordered inspections of healthcare facilities. Subsequently, Dr Bhagwan Pawar, deputy director of health services, Pune division, ordered inspections of district hospitals, women’s hospitals, sub-district hospitals and rural hospitals in the Pune division which includes Pune, Satara and Solapur districts.
According to officials, as many as 14 inspection teams were formed under the chairmanship of Dr Pawar; each team comprising senior divisional and district-level officers along with technical staff possessing expertise in various medical and administrative areas. Field inspections were carried out between September 23 and 27, 2025 and a total of 68 healthcare institutions across the three districts were inspected.
In Pune district, six teams inspected 28 healthcare institutions, including one district hospital, one women’s hospital, six sub-district hospitals, and 20 rural hospitals. In Satara district, four teams inspected 19 institutions, including one district hospital, two sub-district hospitals, and 16 rural hospitals. Whereas in Solapur district, four teams inspected 21 institutions, including one district hospital, one women’s hospital, three sub-district hospitals, and 16 rural hospitals; according to officials.
The teams found major deficiencies in hospital cleanliness and maintenance. Daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules were not followed as per the prescribed plan, and records of cleaning activities were not maintained. In many hospitals, cleanliness checklists were not displayed in different departments, and overall sanitation was found wanting considerable improvement, officials said.
Furthermore, newborn care units were found in shambles, and biomedical waste management was in violation of standard norms. Labour rooms, operation theatres, post-mortem rooms, and toilets were found unclean. Additionally, handwashing instructions and information, education, and communication (IEC) displays were missing above wash basins in several facilities.
Thereafter, show-cause notices were served to the medical superintendents of sub-district hospital, Lonavala; and rural hospital, Kale Colony and Shikrapur in Pune district. Show-cause notices were issued to rural hospitals in Patan, Vaduj and Dhaiwadi; and sub-district hospitals in Dhaiwadi in Satara district. Similarly, notices were issued to women’s hospital in Solapur; rural hospitals in Mangalwedha, Madha, Shetphal, and Mandrup in Solapur district. All notices were issued between October 13 and 27 this year, officials said.
Dr Pawar said, “We have warned the hospital heads to make improvements in their cleanliness and hygiene to avoid administrative action as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979.”
“Once all hospitals inform us that their compliance is completed, a re-inspection will be carried out. New teams will be appointed to conduct the re-inspection of these hospitals. However, in case of non-compliance, stern action will be taken against the respective official/s,” he said.
