Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Aug: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan today conducted a review of the functioning of the Medical Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Departments at the Secretariat. During the meeting, he assessed the current status of health and medical education in the state and issued directions to ensure quality treatment and better health facilities for the public.
He instructed that all the district hospitals and major sub‑district hospitals must obtain accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) by 31 March 2027. The officials were also directed to initiate the process immediately so that hospitals have sufficient time to meet the prescribed standards. He emphasised that NABH accreditation would help maintain quality through regular inspections.
Bardhan also stressed on the digitisation of the hospitals and directed rapid progress towards e‑Hospital facilities. He directed immediate implementation of an integrated health management system across the state, with due arrangements for training, technical support and annual maintenance contracts to ensure effective operation.
The CS also emphasised on the need to fill vacant medical posts at the earliest and suggested exploring options such as engaging retired doctors willing to continue service, completing necessary formalities before retirement, and appointing specialist doctors from private hospitals as visiting consultants.
He also directed the medical officials to run dialysis facilities round the clock in the government hospitals and to start kidney transplant services within three months. It was stated that the required infrastructure and specialists are already in place. He also instructed simplification of procedures for issuing birth and death certificates so that parents and relatives do not face unnecessary difficulties, and emphasised bringing more public services under the Right to Service Act.
Bardhan further asserted the need to strengthen medical colleges by ensuring adequate faculty, improving ward quality and expanding super speciality services. He directed that evening OPDs be started in government medical colleges to extend health services to more people.
Among those present at the meeting were Health Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey, CEO, State Health Authority, Reena Joshi, Additional Secretaries Rohit Meena and Saurabh Gaharwar, and Director General, Health, Dr Sunita Tamta and other senior officials.
