It's an emergency!

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 8

Owing to the huge shortage of radiologists in the public health centre, the ultrasound services are unavailable for the patients at the Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital here.

The insiders at the hospital stated that the ultrasound scan centre is lying closed since the start of Covid-19 pandemic as the then radiologist had joined Government Medical College as a senior resident.

For around 10 months now, the patients are forced to get their scans conducted from private scan centres which charge more fee than the government hospitals do.

The ultrasound scans are importantly required in monitoring neo-natal health during pregnancies. Besides, the test is also used to diagnose many other problems of the abdominal area. A senior doctor on the condition of anonymity said, “The radiologists are not ready to join government hospitals as they have much better earning prospects at private centres. Further, they are not required to perform medico-legal duties which sometimes mean visiting courts.” He added even if a radiologist somehow joins public sector, he prefers to leave due to comparatively poor working conditions.

If JBMM Civil Hospital, which is one of the best district hospitals in state and has bagged many awards at national level is unable to ensure ultrasound scan services, the condition at other hospitals can imagined easily.

Senior Medical Officer at JBMM Civil Hospital Dr Chandan Mohan said, “There is huge shortage of radiologists.” He added that to ensure pregnant women get the scanning facilities the Health Department has signed a contract with a private diagnostic centre. “The arrangement has been made under Jnani Shishu Suraksha Yojna and centre would be paid by the department while pregnant woman would get free scan facility,” he said. The official claimed that the service for pregnant women resumed on Monday.