SMOs and Civil Surgeons should stay 24x7 at place of posting: Mittal

Chandigarh, July 21, 2013: All Senior Medical Officer’s and Civil Surgeon’s should stay 24X7 at the place of their posting and no one would leave the station without prior permission from the concerned officer.

Madan Mohan Mittal, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Punjab issuing instructions regarding this has also instructed that Senior Medical Officers and Civil Surgeons should ensure proper attendance of supporting staff in the hospitals.

Health Minister held a high level meeting with senior officials of the department after touring 13 districts of the state to review the health services in the state. He stated that Punjab Government is committed to provide 24X7 quality Health Services to the people of the state and no laxity would be tolerated at any level.

Expressing his satisfaction over the overall health services in the government hospitals, he said that due to historic initiatives of the Punjab Government especially all free medicines are made available in sufficient number at drug stores of the government hospitals all over the state.

Mittal said that during his tour some issues came to his notice and he has directed Senior Health Officials to solve them on priority such as generator sets at government hospitals are not being properly utilised whereas there is no such issue at the higher department level and all funds related to this are being provided timely to the hospitals. He directed that responsibility of the Civil Surgeon/SMO should be fixed if there is any complaint regarding Generator sets not being utilised in the hospitals. Minister also directed the officials to ensure that mortuary freezers are working properly.

Minister also directed that fire fighting units should be made operational as they could be easily used when need arises and cleanliness of hospitals and hospital compounds should be maintained properly.  He also asked the officials to make new racks for storage of Medicines in the drug stores of the government hospitals.

Others prominent present in the meeting were Vini Mahajan Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Husan Lal MD Punjab Health Systems Corporation, Dr. Ashok Nayer Director Health Services, Punjab and Dr. Rajesh Sharma Joint Director PHSC.