Residents to play key role in hospital monitoring bodies

In a first, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) will be involving residents welfare associations (RWAs) in improving the health and medical facilities in its area. HT reports. Better management

In a first, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) will be involving residents welfare associations (RWAs) in improving the health and medical facilities in its area.

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As per the plan, special committees will be formed in every ward to monitor the functioning of all health and medical institutes in east Delhi.

"None of our hospitals, dispensaries and other medical facilities have a corpus of their own. To buy even a thermometer or new linen for beds, a tedious process has to be followed, only after which the money is sanctioned. Through these committees, we will eliminate all hurdles. And to ensure that the corpus is not misused, RWAs will also be included in these committees," said SS Yadav, commissioner, EDMC.

For years, the medical facilities of the corporation are facing apathy and most of them are in a state of shambles.

The committees, known as patient welfare committees, will include doctors, RWA members and the local councillor, who will also head the committee.

"The mandate of these committees will be to manage the micro-level issues affecting the functioning of the facility and recommend any kind of alterations. The councillor of the ward will be the chairman of the committee. Other members of the committee will include doctors, medical officers, other employees of the health department apart from members of the RWA," Yadav added.

The fund for the committees will come from the central government's National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme.

"We have sought Rs. 66 crore from the NRHM scheme for this financial year and the money will be awarded ward-wise as a yearly corpus for each ward will be formed. The medical officer will be responsible for all finances," he added.

Currently, 74 health and medical facilities including allopathic clinics, mother and child care centres, dispensaries, ayurvedic clinics and TB hospitals are being run by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.