Sweeper attends to patients, applies stitches in Ballia

Jul 11, 2012 |

Ballia (Uttar Pradesh)

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In yet another incident highlighting massive lacunae in country's medical system, a sweeper was found attending to patients at the district hospital here recently.

Hired to sweep and clean the hospital, Rajkumar was seen openly performing duties of qualified medical professionals, even applying stitches and dressing the wound of an injured child.

The child's parents knew the sweeper was performing the task meant to be done by a trained medical professional.

On being informed about the incident, senior medical officials at the hospital initially denied the report. However, later they stated that stringent action would be taken with an aim to curb such practice.

"If this is happening then it is wrong. Now that you have brought it to our knowledge the matter would be taken up. If at all he is helping in the procedure then the attendant can only hold the stitching equipment and not act out the process," P.K. Singh, Chief Medical Officer, said.

While highlighting that there was no shortage of doctors or staff in the hospital, Singh maintained that the sweeper is, in no way, authorised to perform medical tasks and added that as per rules, only qualified surgeons are allowed to stitch wounds and trained nurses can administer vaccines.

"The sweeper's job is to clean and mop, or once in a while help the doctor applying stitches to a patient. It is not his work to give stitches to patients," Singh clarified.

This incident comes a day after news channels aired footage showing sweepers and ward boys operating patients at a government hospital in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh.

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