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Journalism of Courage
A T-SHIRT and cap-clad Tejashwi Yadav took officials at three Patna hospitals by surprise Tuesday night when he dropped in for an “inspection”. However, that wasn’t the first nightly sojourn by the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, whose Twitter timeline these days is full of posts of him amidst people into the late hours, underlining that he is there for them “24X7”.
Tuesday night was the turn of government-run Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), and Gardiner Hospital and Gardani Bagh Hospital. At the Gardiner Hospital, it took a while for the doctors and staff to figure out that the man demanding answers from them, his face half-covered by a mask, was the new Health Minister of Bihar.
Tejashwi, who also holds Road Construction and Urban Development portfolios, is in-charge of Health for the first time. The portfolio was held in the last Mahagathbandhan government by elder brother Tej Pratap; CM Nitish Kumar held it when he was part of the NDA government till recently.
In the current Budget, the state has earmarked over Rs 16,000 crore for health, its third biggest focus area after infrastructure and education.
“Doctor Saheb, please go to toilet and let me know if one can use it”; “Why is a body lying in a hospital corridor for four hours?”; and “Give a full list of medicines we provide to patients free of cost” were some of the questions the Deputy CM had for the doctors and officials.
Tejashwi arrived at the Tata ward of the PMCH around midnight. Finding no senior doctor on duty, he asked if they report for night shift or just leave it to junior doctors and nurses to take care of patients. The replies didn’t satisfy him. A senior doctor soon arrived and said he had gone home for dinner. “One would expect you to come here after having your dinner?” Tejashwi asked him.
PMCH Medical Superintendent Dr I S Thakur was soon at the hospital. Tejashwi, who had checked the toilets by then, asked him to go see their condition for himself. “Please tell us if the toilet can be used.”
The Deputy CM asked for the name of the agency given the contract for cleaning the hospital. And didn’t hide his surprise when he was told that three agencies were assigned the task.
Tejashwi’s next question was regarding a body lying in the corridor, which he said had been there for four hours. “How much time do you need to send a body to a morgue or hand it over to the family?” he demanded.
By now the news of the VIP visitor had spread, and a patient approached Tejashwi, complaining that his ultrasound was not being done. The minister went along with him to the Emergency ward and ensured that he was attended to.
A multi-speciality hospital that receives about 1,200 to 1,600 patients daily in the OPD on an average, the maximum in the state, the PMCH is often under the spotlight.
At Gardiner Hospital, an official, who clearly could not place Tejashwi without the usual politician attire, replied with some irritation to his list of questions. When he finally realised whom he was addressing, the official was apologetic: “Sir, mistake ho gaya. Aapko pehchan nahin paaya (Sir, pardon me. I could not recognise you).”
Tejashwi, satisfied at the state of the hospital, told him not to worry about it.
Around 2 am, the Deputy CM reached Gardanibagh Hospital, where the first sight was officials sleeping. But since there was no patient in the Emergency ward, the Health Minister just urged them to do their duty properly.
On Wednesday, hours after the minister’s visit, the state Health Department got into the act, and conducted a review of Patna hospitals. PMCH’s Dr Thakur said: “We have conducted a review meeting today after the surprise check by the Health Minister.”
