Lucknow:
24 hours after a sweeper was seen on camera giving a child stitches on his leg, a repeat. This time in eastern Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district, Raj Kumar, a cleaner, provides similar attention to a young boy.
"The cleaner should not have stitched the wound of the patient at any cost. Since you brought this to my notice I will inquire about the incident." says Dr PK Singh, the Chief Medical Superintendent.
On Monday, NDTV reported on a hospital in Bulandsheher where a ward boy gave a patient an injection. An inquiry was ordered. Then today's case emerged, proving that this seems to be a pathological condition at UP's government hospitals.
An embarrassed UP government has ordered a probe and vowed it will never happen again.
Ahmed Hasan, the health minister of the state said, "We have sent the reports for investigation. We will take action against culprits."
But there are some who argue that the dependence on cleaners and ward boys is justified in a state that has 42 per cent vacancies among nursing staff and a shortage of 4200 doctors at government-run hospitals.
"Doctors need the help of cleaners and ward boys. There are paramedics. And some of them are quite skilled," said anesthetist Dr Sunil Saxena.
Others insist such practices are unethical and endanger the lives of patients.
Dr RK Sharma, the Director of PGI says, "This is unethical. They may be trained on the job but to use their services routinely is not justified.