Balrampur CHC: 11 Staff Absent, CMO Orders Salary Withheld

बलरामपुर उत्तर प्रदेश | अनिरुद्ध प्रताप शुक्ल

CMO Orders Strict Action Following Unannounced Inspection

An unannounced inspection at the Community Health Centre (CHC) Shivpura in Balrampur on Friday by Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Mukesh Kumar Rastogi has paved the way for stringent action against negligent staff. During the inspection, 11 officers and employees were found absent from their scheduled duty hours.

Consequently, the CMO has issued immediate orders to withhold salaries for the period of their absence. This action aims to ensure accountability and regularity in health services.

Inspection Reveals Systemic Lapses

The inspection was conducted to assess the functioning of the community health centre, the quality of healthcare facilities provided to patients, and the actual attendance of staff. CMO Dr. Rastogi personally visited the hospital premises to review the arrangements and highlight deficiencies.

The list of absent employees includes individuals holding senior positions as well as support staff, indicating a lack of systemic discipline. The CMO emphasized that a clean and organized environment is as crucial as the active participation of doctors and nurses for better healthcare services.

Strict Directives Issued for Hospital Improvement

During the inspection, the CMO gave clear instructions to the Superintendent, Dr. Sujit Kumar Pandey, ensuring all employees are present at the hospital on time in the future. He also stressed the importance of maintaining cleanliness within the hospital premises and explicitly directed all medical personnel to wear their prescribed uniforms.

The CMO believes that providing high-quality healthcare facilities to patients is the primary responsibility of the hospital administration, and any negligence in this regard will not be tolerated. He underscored that all essential diagnostic tests and medicines must be available within the CHC itself.

Ban on Referring Patients Outside

In a significant directive regarding the availability of health services, the CMO stated that no patient should be sent outside the hospital for diagnostic tests or medicines. According to the CMO, all necessary medicines and diagnostic facilities should be available within the community health centre.

This directive aims to protect patients from unnecessary financial burdens and provide them with immediate medical assistance. It is often observed that patients are referred out of hospitals in smaller towns and rural areas due to a lack of essential resources, leading to additional expenses for them.

Records to be Kept Updated

The CMO also directed that financial and administrative records be kept updated to ensure transparency and smooth management. He reiterated that ensuring accountability in health services is his top priority and all officers have been instructed to discharge their duties with utmost honesty and dedication.

He further clarified that such surprise inspections will continue in the future to maintain continuous improvement in the system. The CMO stated that the process of withholding salaries for the 11 employees found absent is aimed at establishing discipline within the health department and making other employees more alert towards their duties.

Staff Affected by Salary Withholding Order

The 11 employees found absent from duty include Dr. Anand Kumar Arya, Ophthalmic Testing Officer Syed Saleem Hussain, Lab Technician Vinod Kumar, Senior Assistants Ashok Kumar and Surendra Pal Singh Verma. Additionally, Ward Attendant Tanvi Srivastava, Sweeper Rakesh Kumar, ANM Ruchi Tiwari, and Staff Nurses Manish, Vandana, and Ila Shukla were also found negligent in performing their duties.

Current Status at CHC Shivpura

At the time of the inspection, a total of 89 patients had been treated in the Outpatient Department (OPD) of CHC Shivpura. Six patients were admitted to the Inpatient Department (IPD), and three successful deliveries had occurred during this period. The pathology department had conducted tests for 27 patients.

District Health Education Officer Arvind Mishra and Assistant Research Officer Siddharth Gupta, along with other medical personnel, were present with the CMO during the inspection.