NASHIK: The number of active patients in the city has gone over 25,000. The patients and their relatives are facing many difficulties in getting the beds. Also, there are complaints about charging excessive bills. Though the government will conduct a probe into the oxygen leak incident at Dr. Zakir Hussain hospital, NMC standing committee chairperson Ganesh Gite on Thursday instructed the administration to form a committee of corporators and outside officials to probe the incident.
He also ordered to form a committee of corporators to keep a watch on auditors in connection with charging excessive bills from patients. The meeting of the NMC standing committee which was stayed on April 19 was held online on Thursday. The members reacted angrily over the oxygen leak incident.
They slammed the oxygen supplying company and some officials. Mukesh Shahane stated that if an inquiry is conducted into oxygen leak, additional municipal commissioner Dr. Ashtikar will found guilty and demanded to file a case against him. NMC medical health officer Dr. Bapusaheb Nagargoje informed that the government has formed a committee to probe this incident.
The chairperson then instructed to form an inquiry committee at the NMC level having corporators and outside officials and table report to the standing committee immediately. During the discussions, members complained that excessive bills are being charged from patients and objected to the style of working of the auditor. Taking note of this, the chairperson ordered to form a committee of standing committee members. In the meeting, development works and the expenditure over the measures related to Covid-19 were approved.
The expenditure to buy rapid antigen test kits was also approved. Post-approval to get RT-PCR test done from Datar Genetics, purchase of oxygen concentrator machine, six months’ extension to those medical officials, CMO, staff nurse, ANM workers, lab technicians and pharmacist who are working on honorarium basis, purchase of Remdesivir drug from the manufacturing company or authorised distributors was also given.
Proposal to give Rs 5 lakh
The Mayor had demanded that the NMC administration should give aid of Rs 5 lakh to the relatives of 22 patients who died following an oxygen leak at Dr. Zakir Hussain hospital. District Guardian Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had also announced to give aid of Rs 5 lakh. Following discussions over this in the meeting, a proposal to give an immediate aid of Rs 5 lakh to the relatives of the deceased was passed.
Insurance cover to NMC employees
A subject to provide mediclaim insurance cover to those officials and employees who are working to curb Covid-19 spread was tabled in the meeting. Following discussions, members demanded to include officials and employees of all departments including the health department for this. The chairperson then announced to provide mediclaim insurance cover to all the officials and employees. He also ordered to provide injections and other facilities to those NMC employees who are positive and their family members.