Kejriwal conducts surprise inspection at city hospitals

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he would request Lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal to approve appointment of pharmacists in the city hospitals to avoid long queues for medicines, said an official.

The announcement came hours after he conducted surprise visits at two city hospitals –LNJP and GB Pant –earlier on Tuesday. In many hospitals, there are long queues outside medicine dispensing counters. More medicine counters can not be opened due to lack of pharmacists. So many posts of pharmicists are lying vacant in many government hospitals.

During visit, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Health Minister Satyendar Jain and senior officials of the health department. "Our main objective is the same i.e to provide best quality healthcare to the people of Delhi. It is in the best interests of Delhi that all of us work together and in a transparent manner," he said.

Kejriwal talked to patients at both hospitals and on finding out that some medicines were not available at GB Pant Hospital, he summoned the hospital's Director to his office. The CM also directed the Directors of both the hospitals to ensure that waiting time at the medicine counters should be brought down as much as possible.

At the LNJP, the patients told Kejriwal that they were getting the medicines being prescribed at the hospital counter. Kejriwal interacted with a large number of patients to know the availability of free medicines at the hospital counters.