Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, May 26: Minister for Health and Medical Education, ARI and Trainings Departments, Choudhary Lal Singh paid surprise visit to District Hospital Reasi last evening to review the healthcare facilities being provided to the patients.
The surprise inspection was conducted by the Minister at 9 PM following public complaints that most of the pregnancies and other patients were being referred to Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu due to the non-availability of doctors at DH Reasi.
MLA Reasi-Ajay Nanda, Deputy Commissioner Reasi-Sushma Chauhan, Director Family Welfare Dr. Baldev Sharma, Mission Director NHM Dr. Yash Pal Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police Reasi-Sujit Kumar and CMO Reasi-Dr Parminder Singh accompanied the Minister during his visit.
Ch Lal Singh clarified to the people that there is no shortage of doctors and paramedics in the hospital. He asked the MLA, Reasi to pay surprise visits to the hospital on regular intervals to monitor its functioning.
He issued instructions to the hospital functionaries to avoid referral of delivery and other normal cases as the hospital is well equipped to handle these. He said all the hospitals of the rural pockets and remote areas have been equipped with required infrastructural facilities with adequate staff and medicines.
During the inspection, the Minister also fined the medical staff, including Medical Superintendent for dereliction of duty.
A fine of Rs 6,000 was imposed on Medical Superintendent of the hospital for not providing available medicines to the patients, while Rs 1000 fine was imposed on a dentist for not attending the duty as per the time mentioned in the duty roaster.
In the male ward of the hospital, the Minister found that some of the patients were without pillows and bed sheets for which the staff nurse was fined Rs 500.
Ch Lal Singh also took a round of the hospital complex and enquired from the patients about the facilities being provided to them in the hospital.
The Minister directed the Medical Superintendent to conduct frequent rounds to check cleanliness in the wards and other sections of the hospital. He also warned the staff against unauthorized absence from duties.
Later talking to the locals, Choudhary Lal Singh said that the Government has taken several innovative steps in last about three months to revive health sector in State. He said deployment of the staff in remote areas and procuring ALSS (Advanced Life Support System) ambulances was the first step in this direction.
The Minister also informed that eight advanced life support system ambulances (4 each for Kashmir and Jammu divisions) will be procured during the current financial year, which would be available for the needy patients by just dialing 108.
He also announced Rs. 3.5 crore for the construction of the additional block of District Hospital Reasi.
Later, the Minister also visited Basholi town and conducted public grievances redressal camp.
A large number of deputations including individuals met the Minister and sought uninterrupted power supply, safe drinking water, renovation of lanes and drains, installation of hand pumps in drinking water deficit areas, development of Basholi as Heritage town and development of potential tourist spots, upgradation of Kathua-Basholi road, road connectivity to far flung areas, upgradation and installation of transformers in far-off areas, ration supply as per fixed scale and opening of new ration depot in left out areas.
Ch Lal Singh solved most of the projected genuine problems of the people on-the-spot, while the remaining was referred to the concerned departments for early redressal.
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