Satyendar Jain finds irregularity at East Delhi dispensary

New Delhi: Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday inspected a Delhi government-run dispensary in Mayur Vihar area ordered suspension of a staff member there over alleged irregularities in issuing registration slips to patients.

A senior official of the health department said Mr Jain, accompanied by the city’s Director General of Health Services (DGHS), enquired about the quality of service at the dispensary located in Mayur Vihar Phase III.

“At a counter there, when he asked people standing in a queue about the services, some of the them alleged that they were being told to pay Rs 5 for getting a registration slip issued,” he said.

Mr Jain then enquired both from the staff on duty and the DGHS as to why money was being charged. “The DGHS told the minister that there is no such rule (of charging Rs 5). Following this the minister ordered suspension of the staff on the spot,” he said.

Mr Jain also inspected the Delhi government’s LBS Hospital in Mayur Vihar Phase II area this morning. “He came at around 8:10 am and interacted with patients in the wards,” a senior doctor at the hospital said.

The AAP government had recently ordered extension of the OPD (out patient department) consultation timings by two hours (8 am-2 pm). Jain also made rounds to check its efficacy.

Earlier, the OPD timings were from 9 am to 1 pm. As per the revised timings, the registration counters shall open at 7.30 am and close at 1 pm. “The minister also enquired from the patients and their family members about the extension of timings from 4 to 6 hours,” the doctor said.

Both Mr Jain and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal have been carrying our surprise inspections at various hospitals in Delhi in the past couple of months.

On October 10, Mr Jain visited the Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital in south Delhi, and on October 8, inspected Jagpravesh Chandra Hospital in Seelampur area in northeast Delhi.