Mains Marathon

Day 47: You are posted as the Chief Medical Superintendent of a large government hospital serving a population of over two million people. Recently, the hospital has been in the news for all the wrong reasons such as shortage of essential medicines, malfunctioning diagnostic equipment, long waiting times, poor hygiene, and reports of negligence leading to patient deaths.

On joining, you discover that many doctors and nurses are irregular, citing low pay and high workload. Several suppliers have links with influential local politicians, resulting in poor-quality medicines and inflated bills. The hospital’s maintenance contracts are pending renewal due to corruption allegations. Patients from rural areas and poor backgrounds face discrimination and are often asked for bribes to get admitted or tested. Senior staff are resisting reforms, fearing exposure of past malpractices.

A recent audit report has flagged gross violations of safety protocols, and a Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the High Court demanding urgent improvement in services. The Health Minister has privately advised you to “avoid creating too much trouble” before the budget session.

A. Identify the ethical and administrative issues in this case.
B. How will you ensure patient care without provoking political backlash?
C. What steps will you take to eliminate corruption and improve staff accountability?
D. Suggest the ethical values that must guide a public health administrator. (250 words)