Arvind Kejriwal warns of action over medicine crunch in hospitals

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will act against officers responsible for "non-payment" of bills to suppliers of medicines in its hospitals and may "deduct" salaries of officers behind lapses, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said.

Kejriwal has laid down the instruction in a letter to Chief Secretary M M Kutty on the issue that came to the fore during his recent surprise inspection of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.

The chief secretary has been directed to respond by 11 am tomorrow detailing the reason behind the "non-payment" of bills, which has led to a medicine crunch, affecting patients flocking these state-run facilities for affordable health care.

Kejriwal has called for a mechanism to be developed to tackle such festering issues plaguing government hospitals in the city, under which, he said, officers will be held accountable for any lapses.

"In case a charge (interest) is to be paid on late payment, the amount should be deducted from the salary of the accountable officer," Kejriwal wrote, seeking a comprehensive plan by next Monday.

Last week, Kejriwal had expressed "displeasure" after paying a surprise visit to the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Mangolpuri.

The Delhi government had appointed a new medical superintendent at the hospital after Kejriwal found that it had failed to comply with his direction to provide free medicines and diagnostic test facilities.