VIJAYAWADA: Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has ordered a swift inquiry into serious irregularities at NTR Hospital in Anakapalle, following an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) report indicting 22 medical personnel.
The report, based on a surprise inspection in February 2020 and submitted in June this year, recommended major penalties against the then District Coordinator of Health Services (DCHS), nine doctors, and 12 nurses. Citing lapses such as unauthorised canteen operations, failure to disclose patient meal details, irregular civil works, poor food quality monitoring, and mismanagement of hospital duties, the report painted a grim picture of hospital administration.
The DCHS was specifically accused of failing to enforce staff attendance and neglecting key supervisory responsibilities. Disciplinary action has also been recommended against nine doctors for negligence, and 12 nurses for patient overexposure, poor hygiene, lack of diet charts, and improper medicine documentation.
The Minister also ordered action against a driver for fuel misappropriation worth Rs 74,000 and a sanitation worker for unauthorised medical dressing duties. Reaffirming his commitment to reform public healthcare, Minister Yadav said the move underscores the government’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption and inefficiency. Since assuming office, he has prioritised staff accountability, regular inspections, and performance-based transfers.
In recent months, the government has reassigned hospital superintendents, medical college principals, office superintendents, and clerical staff to plug loopholes in governance. Non-performers were removed and replacements appointed on merit.
Field-level officers, including District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs), were instructed to ensure strict implementation of health schemes and maintain discipline in operations.
Calling the ACB report a reminder of past administrative failures, the Minister assured continued reforms to restore public confidence in government hospitals and ensure better service delivery.