Shortage of radiologists aggravates patients’ misery

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 8

Even after almost two years, the Health Department has failed to do away with the shortage of specialist doctors, especially radiologists, at health institutions where ultrasound scan facilities are available.

At present the department has outsourced the work of ultrasound scans at Jallainwala Bagh Martyrs Memorial Civil Hospital and Community Health Centre, Baba Bakala, to private radiologists, who are being paid on the basis of each scan.

Sources in the Health Department say that radiologists were not interested in joining public service as they had better avenues in the private sector. They stated that extra duties besides, attending to patients was the other reason behind specialist doctors not joining the Public Health Department.

Civil Surgeon, Dr Jai Singh, said, “Apart from outsourcing ultrasound work to private radiologists at places we have entered into agreement with private labs where we do not have machines.”

He said, “However, at the private centre only pregnant women are catered as they are entitled to free ultrasound scan facility during pregnancy.”

Even as the department claims to have sorted things despite shortage of radiologists, patients are often at the receiving end, in case a private radiologist ends his agreement with the government facility.

In a recent case, the ultrasound scan facility at the Civil Hospital was resumed after almost three weeks, as the Health Department had to find a replacement for the radiologist, who worked earlier.

Further, private radiologists attend patients during hospital working hours. Those brought to the emergency after hospital hours or during the night face problem.