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Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Pune's mental hospital: Health dept submits charge sheet in alleged misappropriation of funds case
The state public health department has submitted a charge sheet to deputy director in the alleged misappropriation of funds at the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH), Yerawada in Pune. The final report directing action against officials will be submitted to the health commissioner for further action, said officials on Saturday. According to the officials, the charge sheet mentions five officials from Class I to Class IV and includes alleged accusations against four former medical superintendents, two former administrative officers, two former office superintendents and two senior clerks. (HT FILE) Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services, made the statement in response to the legislative assembly question (LAQ) raised by MLAs Bhimrao Tapkir, Shankar Jagtap and Sunil Kamble and MLC Yogesh Tilekar. The assembly and council members had raised questions regarding the action taken against massive financial irregularities worth ₹ 1.43 crore and human rights' violations, and patient neglect uncovered during the inquiry. Dr Pawar has agreed to the misappropriation of funds and violation of human rights at the hospital in the response. Earlier, the state government set up a five-member committee to probe alleged misappropriation of funds and corruption at the hospital. The committee was set up following a complaint from health activist Sharad Shetty and was tasked with investigating transactions and services dating back to 2017. The committee was set up in January and submitted its report on March 12. The charge sheet was submitted by the RMH authorities on June 16, said officials. According to the officials, the charge sheet mentions five officials from Class I to Class IV and includes alleged accusations against four former medical superintendents, two former administrative officers, two former office superintendents and two senior clerks. The charge sheets have been submitted along with documents and annexures against the officers and employees concerned, they said. A senior RMH official, on condition of anonymity, said, 'The allegations regarding the embezzlement of funds were confirmed during the investigation related to their respective tenures and the complaint. The information, along with the documentary proof, has been submitted to the director's office along with the chargesheet.' In response to the LAQ, Dr Pawar stated, 'that Class 1 and Class 2 officers fall under the jurisdiction of the Establishment in Mumbai. A request has been made to the Honourable Commissioner of Health Services, Mumbai, to take action in accordance with Rules 8 and 12 of the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules, 1979. Additionally, the Medical Superintendent of RMH, has been informed to take action against Class 3 officers and employees under the same rules and to submit a charge sheet to this office. Documents related to Class 1 and Class 2 officers (Annexures 1 to 4) are currently being reviewed at this office, and the process of submitting the charge sheet to the commissionerate is being expedited,' read the response letter, a copy of which Hindustan Times has seen. Dr Pawar, said, 'The charge sheet has been received by us. We will scrutinise the report and take appropriate action. Based on the charge sheet and documents, a departmental inquiry will be conducted. The action will be taken as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules, 1979,' he said.
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Warning letter issued to Aundh District Hospital over lapses during surprise inspection by health dept
The Pune district civil surgeon has issued a stern warning letter to Aundh District Hospital (ADH) staff after several lapses were found during a surprise inspection conducted by the health department. The hospital staff have been warned of severe disciplinary action and pay cuts in case of violation of rules, said officials. According to the officials, the deputy director of health services, Dr Radhakishan Pawar conducted a surprise visit to inspect healthcare services at the ADH on May 30. During the visit, Dr Pawar expressed displeasure regarding the condition of the hospital wards and toilets. The wards and toilets were reportedly found filthy despite a large number of staff working at the hospital. Besides, the staff on duty were not in uniform and were absconding during duty hours. Following this, Dr Nagnath Yempalay, Pune district civil surgeon, on June 10 issued a warning letter stating strict disciplinary action and a pay cut against errant staff found at fault. The ADH staff have been ordered to mark attendance using the Aadhar-based biometric face machine. In case of failure, no salaries will be paid, read the letter. Dr Yempalay, said, 'The sanitation staff have been asked to make sure the toilets and wards are cleaned daily by the respective staff. If they are found unclean, the salary for that day will not be paid to the concerned employee. Additionally, class IV employees who do not wear the uniform while on duty daily will not be paid the washing allowance in their salary from May 2025 onwards.' Dr Pawar, said, during the inspection, several staff were not in uniform and were without ID cards, which confused if they were staff or visitors to the hospital. 'Orders have been given to take strict action,' he said.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
State govt issues directive to intensify dengue, chikungunya prevention efforts
With the monsoon approaching, the state health department has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) among others to intensify its efforts to prevent the spread of dengue and chikungunya, two major mosquito-borne diseases that witness a surge during and after the rainy season, officials said on Thursday. Deputy director of health services Dr Radhakishan Pawar on May 19 issued a letter to the PMC, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and district health officer, instructing all three to implement comprehensive measures for prevention and control of these diseases. Dr Pawar urged officials to ensure strict implementation of measures and submit detailed action reports. As per the order based on insights from the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), dengue and chikungunya are now seen as year-round threats and not just seasonal outbreaks. The spread and intensity of these diseases is strongly linked to changing weather patterns. 'Health officials must continuously track disease trends and take timely preventive actions as needed. All dengue and chikungunya cases must be reported on the IHIP-VBD portal. Besides, all sentinel hospitals are expected to maintain availability of government-recommended diagnostic kits, including ELISA and NS1 IgM test kits,' Dr Pawar said. The civic bodies have been directed to clearly state that updated national guidelines for clinical management of dengue and chikungunya are available on Officials have instructed civic bodies to get health workers trained by the NCVBDC to lead local training and assist in managing cases to prevent deaths; and to get hospitals ready with dedicated dengue wards, blood components, life-saving equipment and trained staff. The officials have asked for an emergency response plan to be in place to handle potential outbreaks efficiently. 'Insecticides approved by the NCVBDC should be stocked at the district level for immediate mosquito control in high-risk areas. Local authorities must keep Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) ready and ensure transport facilities for quick field action during outbreaks. Joint operations with other departments and local bodies should be organised for vector control campaigns. Additionally, Intensive IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) campaigns should be launched to educate people on prevention, personal protection, and early symptoms,' the directives read. Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health chief of the PMC and head of the vector-borne diseases' control programme, said that training of the healthcare staff was conducted on Tuesday. 'We will issue a letter to all departments with the roles and responsibilities to manage vector-borne diseases. Orders have been issued to maintain an adequate stock of medicines and insecticides. Tenders have been floated for the additional procurement of medicines. Besides, a meeting will be held soon to discuss management of vector-borne diseases and IEC activities,' Dr Dighe said. It is to be noted that the PMC area last year was the worst-affected due to vector-borne disease cases. Pune city reported 382 cases of dengue, 485 cases of chikungunya, 109 cases of Zika virus, and five cases of malaria. Besides, rare manifestations amongst chikungunya-infected patients like encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, gastroenteritis, kidney injury, sepsis and Guillain-Barré Syndrome among others were reported.
