Pune: The Maharashtra Health Department has issued show-cause notices to medical superintendents of 12 government hospitals across Pune, Satara, and Solapur districts following surprise inspections that uncovered serious lapses in cleanliness, maintenance, and hygiene standards.
Inspections Expose Poor Sanitation Across Facilities
The action comes after surprise inspections were conducted between September 23 and 27, 2025, during which 14 inspection teams visited 68 healthcare facilities. Each team included senior health officials and technical experts.
Hospitals served notices include:
- Pune district: Sub-District Hospital, Lonavala; Rural Hospitals at Kale Colony and Shikrapur.
- Satara district: Rural Hospitals at Patan, Vaduj, and Dhaiwadi; Sub-District Hospital, Dhaiwadi.
- Solapur district: Women’s Hospital, Solapur; and Rural Hospitals at Mangalwedha, Madha, Shetphal, and Mandrup.
Findings: Dirty Wards, Poor Waste Management
Inspectors found that many hospitals failed to follow daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules despite having plans in place. Labour rooms, operation theatres, post-mortem rooms, and toilets were found in unhygienic conditions.
Newborn care units and biomedical waste management systems were below standard, while basic hygiene measures such as handwashing instructions, cleanliness checklists, and information displays were missing from several facilities.
District-Wise Inspection Details
In Pune district, six teams inspected 28 hospitals, including one district hospital, one women’s hospital, six sub-district hospitals, and 20 rural hospitals.
In Satara, four teams inspected 19 hospitals, while another four teams checked 21 hospitals in Solapur, officials said.
Government Acts After Complaints
The Health Department ordered the inspection drive after receiving multiple complaints about poor healthcare services and the inconvenience faced by patients in government-run hospitals across the three districts.
The inspections were carried out under the direction of Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, who ordered the probe on September 25, 2025.
Health Officials Warn of Disciplinary Action
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, Deputy Director of Health Services, Pune Division, who supervised the inspection process, confirmed that notices were issued between October 13 and 27, 2025.
“We have warned hospital heads to improve cleanliness and hygiene to avoid disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979,” Dr Pawar told Hindustan Times.
“Once compliance reports are received, a re-inspection will be carried out by new teams. However, if hospitals fail to improve, stern administrative action will follow,” he added.
