With clear focus on augmenting existing health services in the national Capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reviewed the functioning of Delhi Government hospitals in a meeting with the Health Minister Satyender Jain, department officials and the party legislatures of the respective Assembly constituencies.
The Chief Minister said there is an urgent need to decentralise powers for better functioning of Delhi Government hospitals and the biggest impediment was keeping the powers centralised by trying to run these institutions from the Delhi Secretariat, which is clear from the files related to hospitals remaining stuck in the Secretariat for months.
Kejriwal said for further improvement in Government hospitals in providing better health facilities for residents of Delhi it is important to give more powers to the hospitals. This will help these institutions in recruiting according to their needs and also purchasing commodities according to their requirements.
The Chief Minister was informed by the officials that file pertaining to granting more powers for hospitals has been sent to the office of the lieutenant Governor. The CM said he will get in touch with the lieutenant Governor to get the file cleared.
According to an official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s office, “Approval of this proposal will allow the Rogi Kalyan Samitis (Patient Welfare Committees) of different hospitals to conduct purchases upto Rs 75 lakh, whereas the current limit is merely Rs five lakh”.
The CM directed the Rogi Kalyan Samiti members to conduct inspections of their respective hospitals and find out the factual position about the status of diagnostic machines and requirements of hospitals.
The CM expressed displeasure over non-display/improper display of helpline number 1031 boards in hospitals premises. 1031 is the helpline number on which patients and their attendants can register their complaints/grievances about Delhi Government hospitals.