In a surprising move, the Tripura Health Department has issued a comprehensive memorandum containing 15-point guidelines aimed at ensuring the delivery of high-quality healthcare services. This directive comes shortly after a reshuffle at the directorate level, catching many by surprise due to its stringent nature.
Among the key points outlined in the memorandum, Medical Officers have been strictly instructed not to engage in unethical activities, including sitting in chambers inside medicine shops. Such practices are in violation of the Clinical Act and are prohibited for government doctors, laboratory technicians, and other healthcare professionals.
Within the past 72 hours, the Health Department issued a second set of instructions, urging doctors to adhere to time-bound commitments for attending to both Outpatient Department (OPD) and Inpatient Department (IPD) cases. When questioned about these developments, Dr. Supriya Mallick, Director of Health Services, stated that these actions were taken in line with the directives of the Chief Minister and the Health Secretary. He emphasized the commitment to enhancing the quality of healthcare services and refrained from providing further comments, stating that healthcare providers must allocate the prescribed time for quality services in hospitals.
Sources within the healthcare sector have reported that after the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Jana Arogya Yojana, hospital Rogi Kalyan Samiti bank accounts have been adequately funded with significant amounts. However, some officials appear disinterested in utilizing these funds, resulting in patient suffering. Issues such as unhygienic conditions, non-functional equipment, a shortage of ambulance drivers and skilled health workers, inadequate restroom facilities, and the absence of pure drinking water persist in some hospitals. Even patients admitted to these hospitals have had to purchase a substantial quantity of medicines out of their own pockets.
The newly issued memorandum seeks to address these gaps in the provision of quality healthcare services. The Health Department has directed all hospitals in the state to take 15 specific measures, including the establishment of patient guidance/helping centers, maintaining cleanliness and proper sanitation on hospital premises, ensuring the availability of operation theaters and blood banks, and prominently displaying OPD timings. Additionally, a separate OPD counter for geriatric patients and specially-abled individuals is to be established, along with a shelter house and washroom facilities for patients’ attendants.
Sources have indicated that Vigilance Teams, posing as patients, have been formed from various departments and will be conducting inspections in hospitals across the state. This initiative aims to curb incidents such as unnecessary delays in surgeries and the delayed delivery of lab test reports, thus enhancing the overall efficiency and quality of healthcare services in Tripura.
