State Minister Amit voices anger over treatment delays during surprise night visit to Jashore General Hospital
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit has expressed dissatisfaction after finding delays and mismanagement in patient care during a surprise inspection of the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital.
He visited the hospital on Friday night accompanied by party leaders and activists. During the visit he inquired about patients' treatment and directed those concerned to take necessary measures. A video of his inspection has spread on social media.
Amit had come to his own parliamentary constituency on an official tour and, after day-long programmes, reached the hospital at around 8pm. He walked through the male, female and medicine wards.
During the inspection he spoke with various patients and inquired in particular about the treatment of elderly patients.
In the video circulating on social media, he is seen expressing anger after finding delays and mismanagement in the treatment of a woman being treated on the floor of the medicine ward and of a male patient in a bed.
He directed the nurse on duty to call the doctor concerned immediately and ensure the patient's treatment. He also asked that details of the patient's condition be reported to him within an hour of the doctor seeing the patient.
In the video the state minister is heard telling the nurse: 'You phone Medicine Unit One, tell the doctor it is my instruction. The doctor will see this patient now.'
Saying the patient's condition must be reported without delay after the examination, Amit said: 'I want the doctor's phone call within one hour after seeing the patient.' He also raised questions about the nurse's remarks and conduct.
Hospital superintendent Dr Husain Shafayat said a doctor was present in the ward the state minister inspected at the time. However, the doctor could not meet the minister because he was busy after a patient had died.
The superintendent added that the doctor gave immediate care to the patient whose treatment delay had drawn the complaint. The duty doctor later reported to the state minister about the patient, whose physical condition has since improved considerably.
