‘Report on Civil Hospital to Gujarat HC in week’

GANDHINAGAR: A day after the high court reprimanded the state government over poor healthcare at the Civil Hospital at Asarwa, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, who is also the state health minister, said that the government will respond to the high court’s observations within a week.
On Saturday, in a stinging indictment of the state government, the Gujarat high court had said that it appeared as if the Civil Hospital at Asarwa was worse than a dungeon. Not happy with the facilities being provided for patients during the pandemic, the HC asked the state government to set things right and submit a report within a week.
Patel said on Sunday, “The state government had a detailed discussion with advocate general Kamal Trivedi. I have visited the Civil Hospital five times in two months and discussed with the doctors and experts. Core committee meetings were held three times under the chairmanship of the chief minister.”
Patel added that the government was studying the observations made by the high court.
“The CM, chief secretary, law minister, health secretary, other senior officials and me have reviewed the matter and we have had a detailed discussion. The government will file its reply in the court next week,” he said.
Stating that he did not want to comment on matters which are under consideration of the court, Patel said, “I have visited the Civil Hospital five times in the past two months. On three of these occasions, medical experts and specialists met me in the hospital campus and we discussed how we could serve the people better,” Patel said.
Nitin Patel said that he will be 65 years old next month and although it is not advisable for elderly persons to venture out of house, he has never avoided going out and visiting hospitals.
“Even my family members have requested me to stay at home, but I have never hesitated in visiting hospitals and meeting doctors in public interest,” Patel claimed.