GMC doctors up in arms over frequent checks by Aujla

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

Amritsar, February 8

The recent surprise checks by Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH), associated with Government Medical College (GMC), has not gone down well with the medical fraternity as they held a protest here today. They boycotted the medical services as well as the classes.

Members of the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers’ Association, which spearheaded the protest, said the staff were left demoralised over the way the surprise checks were conducted as they were shown in bad light.

Association secretary Dr Karamjit Singh said, “The hospital is facing a shortage of manpower, medicines and chemical regents for laboratories. We request the Lok Sabha member to use his position to end such problems as he is from the ruling party in the state. Blaming doctors for the faults of the government cannot be justified.”

The issue of lack of cleanliness has been prominently highlighted during such surprise checks but the fact is that 300 positions out of 370 sanctioned posts of safai sevaks are lying vacant, he said. Postgraduate Students-cum-Resident Doctors’ Association and students’ body also supported the protest.

They said due to the shortage of chemicals and medicines, staff often asked patients to get the same from the market. “Afterwards the hospital employees are accused of being hand in glove with private chemists and labs,” they said.

The protest ended after GMC Principal Dr Tejbir Singh told them that Health Minister Brahm Mohindra had assured that he would look into the manner. The faculty members stated that the MP often levelled allegations that he had received many complaints against doctors. “Instead of using his position to defame and demoralise the medical faculty, the MP should forward such complaints to the competent authority and get these investigated,” said a senior faculty member, who didn’t wish to be named.

Meanwhile, some of the speakers said the MP shouldn’t come to the hospital unless accompanied by the Health Minister or some senior official of the department. Barring emergency services, other facilities at the hospital were affected due to the protest. OPD patients in large numbers had to return empty handed.