Ludhiana Civil hospital neglecting guidelines, says PHSC director after check

To scrutinise and monitor the operations at the District Civil Hospital in Ludhiana, Dr Anil Kumar Goyal, director of the Punjab Health System Corporation, visited the healthcare facility on Wednesday. The two-and-a-half-hour-long inspection exposed appalling conditions, including broken wheelchairs, torn mattresses and inadequate cleanliness standards. During his thorough examination, Dr Goyal expressed anguish at the negligence evident across various departments of the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital around 1 pm, Dr Goyal was alarmed to witness staff transporting a broken wheelchair that had no back support, foot and armrest, symbolising the substandard facilities for patient care. In the emergency ward, he was outraged by dirty floors, torn beds and stretchers lacking mattresses, highlighting systemic failures in maintaining essential equipment.

“The principal secretary of Punjab through video conferencing and circulars has time and again asked for the maintenance and streamlining of the operations across all the healthcare facilities. But this hospital has turned away ears neglecting all guidelines that have been issued in the past,” Dr Goyal lamented.

Similar conditions persisted in the trauma ward, with dirty floors, missing bedsheets and improper disposal of medical waste further exacerbating concerns. Dr Goyal’s inspection extended to the outpatient department (OPD), where he criticised overgrown bushes and deficient record-keeping practices, admonishing staff for their lapses.

In the eye department, inadequate surgical output drew Dr Goyal’s ire, emphasising the need for increased procedures to meet demand. Additionally, he condemned the medicine department for torn mattresses, faulty equipment and a lack of privacy measures, compromising patient comfort and dignity. He also expressed dismay over the underutilisation of the Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Bima Yojana, stressing the importance of enrolling eligible patients. His scrutiny extended to the pharmacy, where he discovered inadequate record-keeping practices and swiftly demanded corrective action.

During his visit, Dr Goyal uncovered discrepancies in the management of pharmaceutical records at the hospital’s pharmacy. Upon reviewing patient prescriptions, he observed that most medications were being prescribed from within the hospital, with only a few exceptions. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the pharmacy maintained only a single register for recording both essential and non-essential drug lists (EDL and non-EDL medicines), contrary to protocol. This oversight was noted not only in the civil hospital’s pharmacy but also in the pharmacy of the Mother and Child Hospital. Dr Goyal expressed strong objection to this negligence, emphasising the importance of maintaining separate registers for EDL and non-EDL medicines to ensure proper record-keeping and regulatory compliance.

He took action regarding violations observed during his inspection. Upon visiting the Verka booth within the hospital premises, he discovered unauthorised sale of non-Verka products alongside Verka offerings. Asserting that such practices violated established regulations, Dr Goyal instructed the senior medical officer (SMO) to immediately revoke the license of the Verka booth.

“Ensuring accountability and swift resolution of identified issues is paramount,” said Dr Goyal. “For the first time, the hospital management will take charge of curating the tour notes, which will then be promptly sent to higher authorities. Subsequently, within the following three days, an action taken report (ATR) will be furnished. This proactive approach guarantees that the discrepancies noted today do not go neglected but are promptly addressed and improved upon within the set time frame.”