The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s Additional Commissioner, Dr Sudhakar Shinde goes undercover, and acts as if he is a patient, or an ordinary citizen, and chats with the ones present at the hospital to gauge the loopholes. It’s been around 60 days since Dr. Shinde took up the charge and with this undercover operation, he is tackling and solving all the issues and flaws at Hospitals in Mumbai.
Within 60 days he has visited 100 hospitals. This different approach enabled him to not just pinpoint but rectify all the deficiencies in the healthcare system.
Dr Shinde discovered during a recent visit to the civic-run Sion Hospital that patients were being referred to outside laboratories for HIV and hepatitis tests as a result of the Elisa test's limited operating hours in the hospital. Rapid testing kits were used in private labs to carry out these procedures.
The BMC has responded by directing the head of the impacted department to obtain quick kits and emphasizing that patients should not be taken outside the hospital for such tests.
Last week he visited Chembur’s Maternity Home. There he learned that the hospital lacked Tetanus Toxoid (TT) injections during surgical procedures. After learning about this, immediately BMC administration sought an explanation from hospital staff and restocked the injections and medicines.
Sharing the reason for adopting this unique approach, Dr Sudhakar Shinde said that understanding faults and flaws is crucial for making any policy change. He said, "When I go to a hospital as a regular person or a patient, I get to see how patients are treated and what problems go unresolved firsthand. I wouldn't learn this through a PPT presentation or any other technique."
During his visits, Dr Shinde also observed that certain necessary prescription medications on the restricted schedule frequently become unavailable as a result of overprescription. As a result, he asked the hospital for a list of these medications that should be given top priority during the procurement process.
The civic official goes on rounds at hospitals during night hours, unannounced, and checks if everything is under control and proper treatment is 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 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 him, 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.
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