RTI Exposes Absence of Duty Rosters
Mumbai: A Right to Information (RTI) query has uncovered a major administrative lapse at Mumbai’s St George Hospital — the ICU has no preserved duty rosters or attendance logs, raising concerns over accountability in a critical care unit. Advocate Tushar Bhosale had sought shift-wise ICU duty records from 2024 onward, only to learn that no such archives exist.
No Records of Who Handled Patients
According to the Mumbai Mirror, the hospital admitted that ICU duty schedules are prepared every 2–3 months but are never retained. This means there is no documentation of which doctor was responsible for patient care on any given day — no archival schedules, no attendance logs and no traceable accountability.
Legal and Regulatory Violations
Advocate Bhosale argued that the absence of such documentation in a life-critical unit is a systemic blind spot rather than a clerical error. Under Section 4(1)(a) of the RTI Act, hospitals must maintain accessible records. Medical regulatory bodies, including the NMC, also mandate proper documentation of staff deployment and clinical responsibilities.
Complaint Highlights Suspected Attendance Malpractice
Alongside the RTI, Bhosale filed a complaint on the Aaple Sarkar portal alleging irregularities in the ICU attendance system. The complaint suggested that entries were routed through a Registered Medical Practitioner, enabling doctors to mark attendance without being physically present. The Medical Education Department forwarded the complaint to the hospital for examination.
Committee Formed After External Push
An MEDD official told Mumbai Mirror that an inquiry committee would be formed. The official noted that the internal system reacted only after an external complaint forced intervention, not through its own monitoring mechanisms.
Hospital Defends Its System
Dr Vinayak Sawardekar, Medical Superintendent of St George Hospital, defended the hospital’s protocol. He stated that ICU rosters are prepared by JJ Hospital and updated periodically, and only recent schedules are kept. He also claimed that repeated requests for detailed duty information often amount to “unnecessary targeting” of the institution.
Broader Concerns Over ICU Transparency
The revelations have reignited concerns about transparency, documentation, and accountability in critical care units across Maharashtra, especially as similar cases of absenteeism and record-keeping issues have surfaced in other districts.
