UP Health Chief Mandates 8:30 AM Inspections and Uninterrupted Care During Festive Season

Lucknow : In a move to fortify the state’s healthcare backbone during the Chaitra Navratri and Ram Navami festivities, Shri Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical Health and Family Welfare), has issued a comprehensive set of directives aimed at ensuring "uninterrupted and empathetic" medical services for the public.

Presiding over a high-level video conference with Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and Superintendents on Friday, Ghosh established a new standard for accountability. He mandated that all Chief Medical Superintendents (CMS) and senior officials must be physically present at their institutions by 8:30 AM daily. This early-morning presence is intended for rigorous on-ground inspections of Outpatient Departments (OPD), Inpatient Departments (IPD), and emergency wards to facilitate real-time problem-solving.

The Additional Chief Secretary emphasized that 24x7 emergency services are non-negotiable. To prevent the overcrowding of district centers, he directed that ‘108’ and ‘102’ ambulance services at CHCs and PHCs must be fully operational.

"Patients should not be referred to District Hospitals unnecessarily," Ghosh noted. "If a referral is unavoidable, it must only occur after primary stabilization and via government transport."

Beyond clinical care, the directive places a heavy emphasis on hospital environment and logistics:

Medicine Availability: A strict "no-outside-purchase" policy was reiterated. Hospitals must use local purchase mechanisms to bridge any medicinal gaps, ensuring life-saving drugs like Anti-Snake Venom and ARV are always in stock.

Sanitation: Following "Kayakalp" norms, all cleaning must be completed by 7:30 AM, ensuring a sterile environment before the morning rush.

Signage & Navigation: To assist devotees and visitors, glow-signboards must be installed within premises and at a 500-meter radius around hospitals.

Staff Accountability and Welfare Schemes
Ghosh further clarified that leave for medical staff will only be granted under "unavoidable circumstances." All personnel are required to wear ID cards and maintain punctuality.

The meeting also served as a push for government welfare schemes. Officials were told to expedite the issuance of Ayushman Cards and ensure the timely delivery of benefits under PM-JAY and Janani Suraksha Yojana. By integrating technology, hospitals will now use digital displays to educate the public on TB symptoms and immunization schedules, ensuring that even the most remote beneficiaries are reached during this busy festive period.