Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Maharashtra Deputy CM Orders Better Cleanliness, Food, Medicines in Hospitals
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said government hospitals must be clean and provide safe medicines and nutritious food.
He asked officials to check the food supplied to patients by women’s self-help groups.
He also wants unfinished hospitals and health centres completed faster.
Rural hospitals should offer specialist treatment so people do not always need to travel to cities.
Hospitals must treat sewage and biomedical waste properly.
The government plans to hire more healthcare workers, especially for tribal areas.
It is also adding ambulances and using digital systems to monitor healthcare.
Health officials said millions of people have been screened for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and sickle cell disease.
Eknath Shinde directed Maharashtra’s Health Department to maintain strict standards for hospital cleanliness, patient food and medicines.
Officials were told to complete unfinished hospitals and health centres and expand specialist services in rural areas.
The government will strengthen sewage treatment, biomedical-waste management, primary health centres and Employees’ State Insurance hospitals.
Maharashtra has approved posts for 15,010 long-serving National Health Mission contractual employees and is recruiting for 1,440 medical officer positions.
The state is adding 1,756 ambulances, with 350 planned in the first phase, while 666 health projects are under way with ₹1,590 crore allocated.
- Who
- Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar and Health Department officials.
- What
- The government reviewed public healthcare and issued directions on cleanliness, patient food, medicines, rural services, infrastructure, staffing and waste treatment.
- When
- Tuesday; the article does not provide a calendar date.
- Where
- At Mantralaya in Maharashtra, with directions applying to government hospitals, health centres and related facilities across the state.
- Why
- To improve the quality, availability and monitoring of healthcare, particularly in rural and tribal areas.
- Health projects underway
- Work is underway on 666 hospitals, health centres and other health institutions.
- Infrastructure allocation
- ₹1,590 crore has been allocated for the projects.
- Contractual employees
- Supernumerary posts were approved for 15,010 National Health Mission contractual employees with at least 10 years of service.
- Medical officer recruitment
- Recruitment for 1,440 vacant medical officer positions is in its final stage.
- Ambulances
- The 108 ambulance service will receive 1,756 new ambulances, with 350 in the first phase.
- Sickle-cell screening
- The Arunodaya campaign screened 74.34 lakh people and identified 2,376 new patients and 39,545 carriers.
- Women’s health screening
- More than two crore women have been screened for cancer, hypertension and diabetes, according to officials.