Three senior doctors at Rohtak PGIMS seek VRS in two months

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, March 30

Already grappling with shortage of specialist doctors, Pt BD Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here has suffered another blow with one more senior faculty member of Department of Medicine, Dr Harpreet Singh, seeking volunteer retirement from service.

Associated with the PGIMS for more than three decades, Dr Harpreet also runs a special clinic of rheumatology and is known as one of the best doctors in the state. He has cited family reasons in his VRS notice. Dr Harpreet is the third specialist doctor at the PGIMS in the past two months, who has sent three-month VRS notice to the PGIMS authorities. Earlier, Senior Professor (Dr) RC Siwach, head, Department of Orthopaedics; and endocrinology specialist Dr Rajesh Rajput have also sought voluntary retirement.

“Internal politics, rising workload due to staff shortage and attractive earnings in the private sector are some of the major reasons forcing senior doctors of the PGIMS to take VRS. I know good doctors who wished to serve the poor but they were either shifted to other institutes or had to take VRS from the PGIMS following unfavourable atmosphere,” commented a retired PGIMS doctor on anonymity.

Dr Ranbir Singh Dahiya, a former senior professor (surgery), who too got VRS from the PGIMS in 2014 said that VRS by specialist doctors was not a good trend. The state government should talk to senior faculty members of the PGIMS to redress their grievances and take vital steps for the betterment of the institute. Otherwise, the series of VRS would continue in the future as well, he added. Dr Shamsher Singh Lohchab, Director, PGIMS, while confirming the VRS notice moved by Dr Harpreet Singh, said he would talk to him and would try to persuade him to change his decision. “Taking VRS is not a new trend. Doctors adopt this option some years prior to their retirement,” he added.