Kolkata, May 17 -- Within 48 hours of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's review meeting on healthcare services, the Bengal Health Department swung into action, with state health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam conducting surprise late-night inspections at several major medical colleges and hospitals in Kolkata on Saturday.

Acting on the Chief Minister's directions, the Health Department handed over 10 advanced ambulances to five major state-run medical institutions on Saturday night. Two ambulances each were allotted to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, SSKM Hospital, NRS Medical College and Hospital, National Medical College and Hospital and RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to strengthen emergency patient transport services.

Sources in the Health Department said Nigam had chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday with principals and vice-principals of five medical colleges and four teaching hospitals in Kolkata, where strict directives were issued regarding patient services, referral systems, cleanliness and hospital monitoring. The surprise inspections on Saturday night were aimed at reviewing the ground-level implementation of those instructions.

During the inspections, senior officials visited emergency departments and several wards of the hospitals and interacted with patients and their family members. The Health Secretary first visited National Medical College and Hospital before proceeding to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, NRS Medical College and Hospital, RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and SSKM Hospital.

At RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Nigam held a meeting with Vice-Principal Saptarshi Chattopadhyay, doctors and other officials to review healthcare delivery and hospital management. Recently, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul had expressed strong dissatisfaction during her visit to National Medical College and Hospital over unhygienic conditions, unclean toilets and lack of supervision.

According to Health Department sources, hospitals have now been instructed to maintain cleanliness not only in toilets but also in wards and corridors. Authorities have reportedly been directed to ensure that different sections of hospitals are cleaned at least three times a day, while regular monitoring has also been mandated to verify compliance.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.