Expert teams to inspect, supervise Covid hospitals in Delhi

The teams comprise senior doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi government, central government, the New Delhi Municipal Council and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the order, which HT has seen, read.

The health department of Delhi has notified three expert teams comprising four members each, to inspect, supervise and issue necessary directions to ensure better patient care at Covid-19 hospitals in the Capital and prepare weekly reports to be submitted to both the Centre and Delhi government starting next Tuesday.

Experts in the teams include Dr SK Sarin and Dr Mahesh Verma, who are members of advisory committees helping the Delhi government in Covid management, and Dr Nutan Mundeja, the director-general of health services in Delhi. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The teams comprise senior doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi government, central government, the New Delhi Municipal Council and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the order, which HT has seen, read.

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The three teams have been collectively given charge of 30 government and private hospitals—all of them are Covid-dedicated facilities. The hospitals include Lok Nayak, Fortis, Max, Sir Ganga Ram, BLK, GTB, Jaipur Golden, Saroj Super Speciality, Indraprastha Apollo, Max Smart Super Speciality, Forts Escorts, Holy Family, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality and Sitaram Bharatiya Research Institute.

Experts in the teams include Dr SK Sarin and Dr Mahesh Verma, who are members of advisory committees helping the Delhi government in Covid management, and Dr Nutan Mundeja, the director-general of health services in Delhi.

The order, issued on Monday, said that the Supreme Court had, on June 19, directed the Union ministry of health to “constitute an expert committee consisting of senior doctors from central government hospitals, Delhi government hospitals, AIIMS and officials from the union ministry of health and family welfare who shall inspect, supervise and issue necessary directions to all hospitals in Delhi taking care of Covid patients.”

The order further directed the committee to submit detailed reports every week to the central and Delhi governments. The committee members, who were already helping in Delhi’s Covid management, were named by the central government on Sunday, read the order signed by Vikram Dev Dutt, the principal secretary of the health department in Delhi.

Jugal Kishore, the head of the community medicines department of Safdarjung Hospital, appreciated the initiative. He said, “Covid management demands constant supervision. It is a welcome move. But one must ensure that the committees focus on constructive input to facilitate better patient care services without interfering with the day-to-day functions of the hospitals during surprise inspections.”