Health Minister recommends immediate suspension of health secretary

After several drugs being supplied to the Delhi govt hospitals have been found ‘spurious and non-standard drugs’, Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has recommended immediate suspension of Delhi’s health secretary S.B Deepak Kumar by the Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over the issues of irregularity in purchase of medicines.

The minister has also demanded strict action against the then DGHS Dr Nutan Mundeja in the matter. Addressing the media, he said that despite such incidents, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) has not taken any firm action against the officials concerned. 

The minister claimed that upon assuming office in March 2023, he ordered an audit of medicines, equipment, and consumables on 21.03.2023 to the Health Secretary then DGHS. Despite his repeated reminders to the Health Secretary regarding the audit, no action was taken. 

He also said that in October, a complaint was lodged with the L.G. against the Health Secretary and then DGHS due to their obstructionist approach, but no action was taken by LG & Central Government. The Health Minister stated that after the disappointment from the LG’s office, we knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court to initiate action on this sensitive issue.

Mr Bhardwaj claimed that he had issued orders several times to the Health Secretary to conduct an audit regarding the procurement of medicines. However, Health Secretary has not conducted any audit, nor has any report been submitted to the Health Minister’s office, he said.