Hospital scandals like fake doctors on duty, poor conditions of ICU & MICU wards due to lack of staff attention, inconvenience caused to patients, diagnostic scan scandal, and other fraudulent activities have become common these days. But to rectify this Mumbai’s Additional Municipal Commissioner, Dr. Sudhakar Shinde, is taking up right steps. Dr. Shinde goes on rounds at hospitals during night hours, unannounced, and checks if everything is under control and proper treatment is being given to all the patients. All the BMC hospitals have been asked to submit all the details about third parties handling ICU, MICU, and NICU after BMC received complaints about the absence of doctors at hospitals.
Other senior health officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s Public Health Division have begun visiting major regional, and tertiary care institutions.
"I have requested full explanations and information of the third parties who have been hired to manage the ICU, MICU, and NICU at all of the secondary and tertiary care hospitals. Action would be taken if any loopholes are found, said Dr. Shinde. According to Dr. Shinde, there have been numerous complaints about fake doctors.
The civic hospitals are meant for treating patients across the city and to provide them with the best facilities possible. After several complaints about doctors, appointed through a third party, who do not attend to their duty and get their salaries on time, Dr Shinde decided to take up this initiative. Due to the absence of such doctors, several patients have faced inconvenience.
Under the condition of anonymity, a senior health official stated, "We have requested information regarding whose company or organization has been handed the job to operate the ICU and MICU. Is the doctor holding an MD or MBBS degree? Do doctors show up for work on time? Are they paid to attend? Some hospital officials have delivered the specifics of all these things, but only a few are yet to arrive."
Dr. Shinde took up the charge a month ago. Since then he goes on rounds unannounced from around 11 pm to 2 am. Dr. Shinde said he has conducted visits to nearly 50 medical centers, encompassing four medical colleges, peripheral hospitals, and dispensaries since he took the responsibility.
Through these visits, he identified areas that need to be looked up for improving the performance and work at the healthcare centers. Dr. Shinde has also witnessed contentious imparts between medical professionals and patients' families. A hospital administrator stated, "To address this, we have already worked with TISS to offer soft skill training."
Further, he also noticed the need for animal control. He said, "Animal control needs to be a priority. There are cats and dogs roaming around, which we have to address.”
As part of the monsoon safe effort, the city health department recently began a cleaning campaign in every hospital. Additionally, the Pesticide Department was told to destroy any rats that were scurrying around the hospital's grounds and surrounds. More than 800 rats have been killed so far.
Amid heavy pouring down rains this week, and in the wake of a landslide incident at Irsalwadi, in some of the landslide-prone regions in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, the BMC disaster cell conducted a pre-emptive survey with a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
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