100 visits in 60 days: BMC official guises as patient to fix flaws in hospitals

BMC official guises as patient to fix flaws in healthcare system

Dr Sudhakar Shinde of the BMC

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100 visits in 60 days: BMC official guises as patient to fix flaws in hospitals

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For his hospital inspections, Dr Sudhakar Shinde has taken the route usually opted by police to uncover crimes — going undercover. He disguises himself as a patient or an ordinary citizen, sometimes portraying a patient in need of tetanus injections or doing a chit-chat with those at the hospitals to gauge the loopholes.

Within just 60 days of assuming the role of Additional Municipal Commissioner at BMC, Dr Shinde has completed around 100 hospital visits , effectively tackling a variety of shortcomings.

This proactive approach has enabled him to not just pinpoint but also actively rectify a multitude of deficiencies in the healthcare system.

For example, during a recent visit to the civic-run Sion Hospital, Dr Shinde found that patients were being sent to external laboratories for HIV and hepatitis tests due to the limited operational hours of the Elisa test available within the hospital. These tests were being conducted using rapid kits in private labs.

In response, the BMC has instructed the head of the department concerned to procure rapid kits and stressed that patients should not be sent outside the hospital for such tests.

In another incident last week, he visited a maternity home in Chembur and discovered a shortage of tetanus toxoid (TT) injections during surgical procedures.

Subsequently, the BMC administration sought explanations from health officers regarding the unavailability of these crucial injections and restocked the medicine.

When asked about the reason for adopting this unique approach to identify weaknesses in the system, he explained that understanding the faults is crucial for implementing policy changes.

“When I visit a hospital as an ordinary citizen or patient, I gain a first-hand experience of patient treatment and unaddressed issues. This is something I wouldn’t get from a PPT presentation or other methods,” he said.

During his visits, he observed rats running around KEM Hospital, posing health hazards. Following his visit, the insecticide department, as reported by The Indian Express, scanned and eliminated over 800 rats around civic-run hospitals in Mumbai.

Additionally, KEM Hospital is planning to acquire rat repellent control devices. “These devices emit powerful sound waves that cause discomfort and pain for rats. We are planning to procure them to address the rat menace in the hospital,” stated Dr Sangeeta Ravat, the hospital’s dean.

During his visits, Dr Shinde also realised that certain crucial medications categorised as restricted schedule drugs often become unavailable due to excessive prescriptions.