LUCKNOW: Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who is conducting inspection of government medical facilities ever since he took charge of the department, on Friday visited the community healthcare centre (CHC) at Mahmudabad in Sitapur, primary healthcare centre (PHC) at Kursi in Barabanki and block health camp at Ghunghter CHC in Barabanki.
Finding various anomalies, the minister pulled up officials for absenteeism, laxity in patient care and sought a report from the director general of medical and health (DGMH) within 24 hours.
He also ordered deduction of wages of employees who were unavailable on duty without a valid reason.
Pathak has been on a steady inspection of hospitals in and around the city ever since he became the DyCM with health, medical and medical education as portfolios.
After inspecting two major government hospitals in the city— Dr SPM Civil hospital and KGMU — the minister has also started inspecting rural hospitals and CHCs.
During his visit to Mahmudabad CHC, the DyCM discovered that of the 37 employees posted at the centre, 12 including doctors, nurses, clerks and peons, were unavailable on a single day. Some of these had been absent for a few days while others were on leave for a year for reasons unknown to the medical superintendent.
Pathak pulled up both the CMO Sitapur and DGMH for lack of information and large scale absenteeism from duty. “The government facilities will be regularly checked for their upkeep and I have also directed all chief medical officers (CMO) across the state to conduct surprise inspections, check duty registers everywhere,” Pathak said.
“At CHC Mahmudabad, of 37 employees, 12 were missing. Of them, a paediatrician has been missing from work for a year now. He joined for a day in December and has not returned since. Another doctor has been attached to PGI for Covid sample collection, which is not even being done as a task and he too has never visited the CHC or marked attendance. The DGMH has been asked to inquire about such inadequacies from all CMOs and present a report to me in 24 hours,” he added.
Pathak also chided officials for unavailability of drinking water, sanitation and lack of cleanliness.
