Confusion over holiday affects services at Civil Hospital

Tribune New Service

Bathinda, October 20

Confusion over a holiday announced by the state government after the Amritsar train mishap affected services at the Civil Hospital here on Saturday.

Doctors and staff members reached the hospital late than the scheduled time. By the time the hospital staff reached, some patients had returned home. A few doctors remained absent throughout the day. The number of patients also decreased up to 50 per cent at the outpatient department (OPD).

At the drug de-addiction centre, patients kept waiting at the OPD for hours as the staff did not reach till afternoon. Only one doctor was available at the centre and after being guided, the patients directly started visiting him without getting registration slips.

At the medicine OPD of the Civil Hospital, there was only one doctor as patients kept waiting for hours to get them examined.

A number of patients returned without being examined from the TB and chest OPD. 

One of the doctors at the hospital said he got to know a bit late through WhatsApp that there was no holiday on Saturday so he got late.

At Women and Children Hospital, the number of patients had dropped significantly. The OPD of the gynaecology and paediatrics units see 220 to 250 patients on a daily basis, but on Saturday, closed to 90 patients visited the OPD.

A group of patients, who could not get examined in the absence of doctors, said the government should have clarified whether there was a holiday on Saturday or not. 

SMO, Civil Hospital, Dr Satish Goyal said, “There was confusion over the holiday on Saturday so a few doctors arrived late. But a majority of them were present and examined patients throughout the OPD timings of the hospital.