Shortage of anesthesia experts hampers surgeries

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 13

Absence of an adequate number of full-time anesthesia specialists at Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital is posing a problem to surgeons as well patients.

The hospital has three anesthesia specialists, but two of them have also been assigned duties at Government Dental College and the Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health for three days a week.

The District Health Department has been requesting state officials to cancel the additional assignments given to these specialists for the past three months, so that their services could be utilised at the Civil Hospital.

One of the anesthesia experts has been assigned duties at Government Dental College for three days, despite the fact that Government Medical College here has a full-fledged anesthesia department with around 24 anesthesia experts. However, instead of deputing anyone from Government Medical College, the doctor from the Civil Hospital was assigned this duty.

At present, the dental college, too, has anesthesia specialists of its own, but the duty assigned to the Civil Hospital doctor has not been revoked. Sources at the Civil Hospital said with only three anesthesia doctors and around 30-40 surgeries each day, patient care suffers.

“The anesthesia doctors have to work round the clock in case there is an emergency. The hospital requires three full-time doctors so that the work does not suffer,” said an insider.

The hospital’s Senior Medical Officer, Dr Charanjit Singh, said, “We have requested the Civil Surgeon to provide us full-time anesthesia doctors.” He said services to patients would improve if an adequate number of doctors are available.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr Pardeep Chawla, said they had forwarded the request to senior officials. “Hopefully the matter would be sorted out soon. We would send a reminder to the authorities in this regard,” he said.

Health Dept wants addtional duties to be cancelled

• The hospital has three anesthesia specialists, but two of them have also been assigned duties at Government Dental College and the Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health for three days a week. 
• The District Health Department has been requesting state officials to cancel the additional assignments given to these specialists for the past three months, so that their services could be utilised at the Civil Hospital.
• One of the anesthesia experts has been assigned duties at Government Dental College for three days, despite the fact that Government Medical College here has a full-fledged anesthesia department with around 24 anesthesia experts.