26 May,2011 06:21 AM IST | | Yacoob Mohammed
Following the surprise visit that revealed shocking truth about shoddy practices of staff at Victoria hospital, the minister will now monitor hospitals from his chamber via Internet
Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas' surprise visit to Victoria Hospital may well be his last such visit. The minister confirmed to MiD DAY that he was all to set to implement a hi-tech system, which would enable him to monitor hospitals, under his authority, from his chamber.
S A Ramdas went through the CCTV footage ofu00a0 Victoria hospital at Medical Superintendent B G Tilak's office
He informed that the system will be on the lines of 'wide-web project system', which the state police housing corporation has installed to keep a watch on the daily movement of its staff.
Ramdas said, "All the places I visited left me bewildered about irregularities. There are various issues, but the most common are missing doctors and nurses and unattended patients," he said.
During Ramdass' surprise visit to Victoria Hospital on Tuesday, he was greeted with the sight of contraceptives stacked openly and liquor bottles strewn around. Also, Medical Superintendent B G Tilak appeared to be using his official notice board as a memo pad to remind himself of appointments like weddings etc.
Not fair
Tilak said that he was not in a good mood and had to issue a notice to his staff following the minister's order. "We are already short-staffed and some more glitches will occur if anyone else is suspended. Harsh punishment will affect the administration process," he said.
On the looming issue of clinical trials, the minister said, "The state government is planning on introducing clinical trials, which hold enormous potential for benefiting patients, improving therapeutic regimens and ensuring advancement in medical practice that is evidence based.
Unfortunately, the data and reports of various trials are often difficult to find and in some cases do not even exist, as trials are abandoned or not published due to 'negative'
or equivocal results." Hence, the minister has appointed a two-member committee headed to come up with a report, which will be tabled in the cabinet.
'Ramdas is unaware'
Meanwhile, a contractor attached to Victoria hospital voiced his opinion against the decision to terminate the contract for Sulabh toilets where condoms and liquor bottles were found.
"The condoms were not used ones, but an NGO's free supply to control AIDS. It appears that the minister is unaware of this fact.
u00a0
As for the liquor bottles, if miscreant consume liquor and dispose of the bottles in toilets, it is the duty of the cleaning staff and security appointed by the hospital to ensure this does not happen," he said.
