Haryana Health Minister Orders Improvements, Plans to Recruit 500 Doctors

Haryana’s Health Minister, Arti Singh Rao, announced plans to recruit 500 doctors soon, addressing the pressing need for medical personnel in government hospitals. This announcement came during her unannounced visit to the Lok Nayak Jai Parkash District Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra on October 6, 2023, where she expressed her dissatisfaction with the hospital’s sanitation and overcrowding.

During her visit, Minister Rao inspected various facilities within the hospital, including toilets and patient wards, and raised concerns about the conditions, particularly in the children’s ward. She reprimanded hospital officials for the existing issues that patients face, including limited access to essential services like the x-ray facility during emergency situations. Interacting with patients, she sought feedback on their experiences regarding medication access and other hospital services.

Civil Surgeon Dr. Sukhbir Singh briefed Minister Rao about ongoing construction work for a new hospital building, which aims to alleviate some of the current congestion. Minister Rao highlighted the critical shortage of space, noting, “There is an acute shortage of space in the hospital and amid the congestion, various health services are being run.” She pointed out that while there are multiple gynaecologists available, they share a single examination room, which hampers patient care.

The minister emphasized the urgency of completing the construction work, particularly for facilities catering to infants, to prevent the risk of infections. “I will ask the Public Works Department (PWD) to expedite the pending work, especially the wards related to the babies,” she stated, urging that the completion be approached in a phased manner.

Minister Rao also addressed complaints regarding patient referrals, asserting, “The civil hospitals are not constructed to refer patients. All efforts are being made to ensure that no patient is referred from the Civil Hospital in the near future.” She plans to implement regular reporting on surgeries conducted at the hospital to monitor service quality.

In addition to concerns about sanitation—where she noted, “The toilets were in poor condition” and highlighted a locked women’s toilet that had to be forcibly opened—Minister Rao assured that inspections would continue in the coming days.

The recruitment of new doctors is part of the government’s strategy to bolster healthcare services in light of the challenging health landscape, particularly with the recent flood-like conditions in various districts of Haryana. These conditions increase the risk of diseases such as dengue and malaria. The Health Minister urged residents and Health Department officials to remain vigilant in preventing outbreaks of illnesses like chikungunya.

With these initiatives, the Haryana government aims to improve health service delivery and address the growing needs of its population.