NEW DELHI: Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday urged Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to order an inquiry into the non-availability of medicines and consumables in city government hospitals, an official statement said.
In a letter to the LG, Bharadwaj wrote about the health secretary “misinforming and misleading” him on the issue.
The minister underlined that the power to order inquiries and take action against erring officials lies with the LG. He requested Saxena to order a time-bound inquiry against the officials concerned for “misleading” him, the statement said.
Bharadwaj said that either the senior health ministry officers are unaware of the ground situation or are deliberately not resolving the issue. He said he directed the chief secretary and the health secretary multiple times to ensure supply of medicines and consumables in Delhi government hospitals.
In a post on X in Hindi, Bharadwaj said, “For the past few weeks, the health secretary and chief secretary have been repeatedly told that there is a shortage of free medicines and other supplies in government hospitals and that it should be addressed.” “But the officials are consistently providing incorrect information that everything, including medicines, is available,” he said.
If the officers provide wrong information to the government, the problem will intensify. The poor will not get treatment, fall seriously ill and can also die, Bharadwaj said.
Time-bound inquiry
The minister underlined that the power to order inquiries and take action against erring officials lies with the LG. He requested Saxena to order a time-bound inquiry against the officials concerned for “misleading” him, he said. Bharadwaj said that either the senior health ministry officers are unaware of the situation or are deliberately not resolving it.