Equipment and medicines available at all Delhi government hospitals would be reviewed at a meeting called by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, officials in the Chief Minister’s Office said on Sunday.
According to an official, the Chief Minister called for an emergency meeting of the medical superintendents of Delhi government hospitals after several children in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur died due to lack of oxygen supply at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in a span of 48 hours.
Surprise checks
The official added that the medical superintendents had been asked to bring reports of the status of equipment and medicines available at their hospitals in order to address any requirements or lapses. The Chief Minister has also been conducting surprise inspections of hospitals in order to check the quality of healthcare provided.
While Mr. Kejriwal has not spoken about the incidents in the BJP-ruled State, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has tweeted, asking about which Uttar Pradesh officials had been responsible for delaying the procurement of oxygen, despite several complaints.
In 2012, the Delhi government-run Sushruta Trauma Centre had seen four patients in the ICU die due to an alleged two-minute halt in oxygen supply. The government had taken action against two doctors as well as the private company supplying oxygen. But the final report on what caused the malfunction has not yet been completed.