Probe ordered against 11 staff of Gudivada area hospital

Vijayawada: Health, medical and family welfare minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav ordered a formal inquiry and disciplinary action against 11 medical personnel at Gudivada Government Area Hospital in Krishna district.

This action on Tuesday follows serious allegations of mismanagement and negligence, which were detailed in a 2020 report by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The ACB’s report, based on a two-day inspection in February 2020, uncovered significant irregularities including lapses in supervision, neglect of internal audit reports, and discrepancies in medicine stock registers and patient food supply.

Minister Yadav has now directed disciplinary measures against the hospital’s then-superintendent, six doctors, an administrative officer, two nursing superintendents, and a pharmacist. The ACB report highlighted several key issues, including a lack of supervision at multiple administrative levels and a failure to act on audit reports from 2014 to 2018.

It also pointed to poor hygiene and maintenance, substandard food for patients without quality checks, and discrepancies in medicine records and distribution. Additionally, the report noted a failure to change bedsheets daily, misuse of a hospital vehicle, and unused medical kits and equipment left scattered in storage rooms.

Minister Yadav expressed concern over these serious administrative lapses, stating that such apathy towards audit mechanisms and patient care standards would not be tolerated. He emphasised that “audit reports are critical to improving institutional functioning. Neglecting them reflects a deep-rooted failure in accountability.”

This move comes shortly after a similar action on July 27, when the minister ordered an inquiry against 22 staff members at Anakapalli Government Hospital, also based on a 2020 ACB inspection.

The minister noted that the emergence of these reports in quick succession points to widespread negligence during the previous YSRCP government’s rule. Since assuming office, the minister has made it a priority to tighten supervision across government hospitals and has initiated several reviews to improve healthcare delivery and institutional accountability.