Strike affected Jind patients

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jind, May 26

Several patients from the district had a tough time because of the strike by doctors of the PGIMS, Rohtak. The reason was local Civil Hospital lacking in facilities referred patients to the PGIMS and the strike did not help matters.

The Jind hospital faces shortage of doctors, and lacks facilities such as MRI and CT scan. A majority of patients suffering from accidental injuries, poisoning, burns, bullet injuries and heart attack get refer slips from the Jind Civil Hospital.

The hospital authorities refer eight to ten patients every day to the PGIMS.

“I do not have money to get an MRI done from a private hospital and have been waiting for the strike to end. Jind doctors handed me a referral slip. When I asked them about the strike, they said they were helpless,” said Mahinderpal, a farmer from Pandu Pindara village.

During his visit to Jind on December 26, 2014, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said the facilities at the hospital would be upgraded. But six months have passed and the hospital is yet to see any improvement.

Not only this hospital, but facilities in all district healthcare institutions are in a dismal state, as 54 posts of doctor out of 90 are lying vacant.

“Due to lack of facilities, we have been referring patients to hospitals in Rohtak and Khanpur. We have written to the government to fill vacant posts. Hopefully, the government will act soon,” said Dr Anil Birla, officiating Civil Surgeon, Jind.