CM reviews working of 1031 helpline for Delhi govt hospitals

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday chaired a meeting to review the working and response of the helpline number 1031 for Delhi government hospitals.

"The helpline number 1031 has been issued for patients and their relatives/attendants in government hospitals to report any kind of lapses in the policies of free medicines, tests and surgeries," said a statement from the Chief Minister's office.

The meeting was attended by Delhi Health Minister, Principal Secretary (Health), Health Secretary and medical superintendents as well as nodal officers of Delhi government hospitals.

Kejriwal told the officials to make sure that free medicines, tests and surgery schemes are implemented 100 per cent and no lapses occur in these pro-people policies.

He also told them that the government is serious on its implementation, in order to make Delhi's healthcare the best and affordable.

In Delhi government hospitals, notice boards have been put up asking patients to call 1031 if they do not get medicines for free, face problems in the free tests, or are not operated at private hospitals if government hospitals fail to operate them within 30 days.

Each government hospital has a nodal officer to resolve the calls on 1031 and report back about the resolution.

However, some hospitals' nodal officers failed to resolve all the issues and were pulled up during the review meeting.

After going through the data of calls received at 1031 and the number of problems resolved, Kejriwal expressed displeasure and said that no call should go unattended or unresolved.

The data on the calls received at 1031 and the number of cases resolved is sent to the Chief Minister's Office every evening.

Kejriwal also directed that from henceforth all nodal officers who fail to resolve all grievances would report to the Chief Minister's residence at 9 am the following day, along with the Principal Secretary (Health) and Health Secretary and explain the same.