GUJRAT: The deputy commissioner is taking steps to directly monitor functioning of the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) through online closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras being linked to his office.
The move has raised many eyebrows in the medical fraternity that terms it uncalled-for intervention in the affairs of the teaching hospital working under the health secretary.
As per the official sources, 42 CCTV cameras were already installed in the hospital but some miscreants had cut the cables of most of them whereas a few had reportedly been broken and working of the staff in the hospital could not be monitored by the hospital administration. The cameras were linked to the TV screen in the office of the medical superintendent (MS).
After the district administration directed the information technology officer of the district to restore these cameras, 30 cameras have been repaired and made functional. Within next few days, the link of all these cameras would be extended to DC office’s TV screen. DC Muhammad Ali Randhawa had issued directions in this regard to the officials concerned of the district as well as hospital administration during his visit to the hospital last week.
Medical fraternity terms the move uncalled-for intervention
The medical fraternity has been showing a grave concern over some measures being taken by the district administration, terming them as an uncalled-for intervention in the hospital affairs.
However, the district administration says the measures are aimed at improving performance of the hospital.
Gujrat chapters of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and Young Doctors Association (YDA), in an emergency meeting few days back, expressed their concern over, what they termed, consistent intervention by the district administration in the hospital affairs. They passed a resolution, saying the district administration did not have any authority to meddle in the affairs of the hospital which was under direct control of the provincial health secretary for being a teaching hospital instead of a district headquarters hospital.
PMA President Dr Maqsood Zahid says the association’s concerns and decisions of the meeting have been conveyed to the district administration. Insulting attitude of any administrative officer to the doctors would never be tolerated in the name of administrative measures, he declares.
However, DC Randhawa has a different view. He says everybody should know that being a representative of the Punjab government a DC is duty-bound to check the working and performance of all the public sector departments and projects on behalf of the provincial government. Since the ABSTH is a major health facility of the district, the DC adds, he would continue taking care of it besides other health facilities.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017
