Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Commissioner Abhijit Bangar issued a show cause notice to eight doctors for being absent from the hospital. The civic chief paid a surprise visit to Vashi civic hospital on Tuesday evening and found that these doctors on call were not present. He warned that doctors must be in the hospital even if there are no patients.
In order to make the civic hospitals more responsible, the civic chief has been visiting different hospitals. This was the second surprise visit to a civic hospital within a week's time. Bangar said that he came to know that doctors on-call were not present in the hospital and stayed home. “These doctors say that they are on-call and they will come to the hospital when there is a patient,” said Bangar, adding that since they are not in the hospital patients do not come and go to private or other hospitals.
“These doctors are supposed to handle emergency cases and such patients need immediate attention and medications. If doctors are at home, how can such patients get treatment in time,” said Bangar. He added that, even if there is no patient, these doctors will have to be in the hospital as such patients can come at any moment. The Vashi civic hospital is a COVID-19 hospital and serious patients are referred there.
Bangar wanted to give a clear message that any lackadaisical attitude would not be accepted. “The visit was part of starting Nerul and Airoli hospitals to their full capacity,” said Bangar. During his visit to the Airoli hospital last week, the civic chief found that there is tremendous infrastructure at all civic hospitals, which is not being used. “This is unfortunate that infrastructures are lying unused and patients are running from one private hospital to another for treatment,” said Bangar.
The NMMC administration has decided to start ICU, IPD, and surgical treatment facilities at the Rajmata Jijau Hospital, Airoli, from January 1. At present, only OPD services for maternity and paediatric are available at the hospital. The civic chief had taken the decision after he made a surprise visit to the hospital on Friday.
