Medical fraternity laments pathetic condition of hospitals

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 15

While Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani inaugurated a private hospital on the city outskirts today, other public sector health institutions are crying for attention due to shortage of doctors.

The medical fraternity complained that the government was more inclined to boost private sector at the cost of public health sector. They alleged that the move to fix a meagre Rs 15,600 as pay for MBBS doctors was also aimed at helping private hospitals.

“If eligible doctors’ do not join public sector at low pay, a large bank of private doctors will be available for big hospitals,” said a doctor on a social networking site.

The medical fraternity has demanded that private hospitals should not be given a ground to flourish by starving government hospitals. A case in point here is the condition of Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital.

The hospital with a monthly average of around 400 to 500 child deliveries is managing with only three gynaecologists. Out of the three, one has to manage the OPD and two are left for conducting normal and C section deliveries.

The three also have to manage round-the-clock emergency services. In paediatrics section, the hospital has only one permanent doctor. The second doctor comes on duty for only three days in a week. The paediatrician, apart from attending the OPD, has to take care of all children born at the hospital.

The same is true for the Eye Department of the hospital as one of the doctors has joined Senior Residency at Government Medical College and the second is one leave. The department is being run by ophthalmic officials these days.

The NSV centre at the hospital is also lying closed because on non availability of the staff. Officials claim that the new doctors would arrive shortly, but the medical fraternity stated that the state government was yet to wake up to the problems faced by the general public and the staff in public health sector.