Arvind Kejriwal finds medicine norm violation at government hospital

NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday visited a government-run hospital in northwest Delhi and directed officials to take action after he found an alleged violation in prescription norms by a doctor.

Kejriwal, accompanied by health minister Satyendar Jain, went to several wards at Maharishi Valmiki Hospital in Bawana and talked to patients. In a rather unusual move, the CM took the prescription card of a person present near the medicine counter and inquired about it, only to be told by the staff that “the medicine prescribed by the doctor was not available”.

When the CM further inquired about it, the staff told him that “the medicine was not available as it was not part of the inventory list,” AAP officials said. Kejriwal then sought to know from the medical superintendent of the 150-bed hospital as to why the medicine was prescribed if it was not on the list.

He directed officials to take action after finding details of the case. According to a recent government directive, only medicines listed in the inventory approved by the Delhi government are to be prescribed by doctors at government hospitals. Kejriwal’s visit caught the doctors and officials by surprise even as people approached him with their problems.