MS, Doon Medical College Hospital asks Govt to hold doctor transfers

Dehradun: The state health department's move of mass transfer of nearly 241 doctors in a phased manner from the associated hospital of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC), female wing of Doon Hospital, Coronation Hospital and Premnagar Hospital in the past months in order to strengthen district health services of the state, has created an uproar in Doon Medical College Hospital.

The 5 transfers from GDMCH of the 241 had the Medical Superintendent Dr K K Tamta on Monday cry hoarse about staff going extinct, as a result of these transfers. Dr. Tamta is believed to have requested government authorities to shift the transferred, only after replacements are deployed.

Three anesthetists, a radiologists and a pathologist are the five transferred from the Doon Medical College. Following are the names of the transferred medical practitioners: Dr Deepika Jain (pathologist);Dr Narendra Singh Tomar, Dr Pankaj Sharma, Dr Abhilasha Kohli (all anesthetists), and Dr Yatindra Singh (radiologist).

According to the hospital administration, their retention is important to continue medical services at the facility.The hospital authorities are voicing their concern over their retention as hospital healthcare would come to a standstill without them.

'A fine balance of physicians in the state is the aim behind the health department's decision . However, government doctors in the state have risen in protest against the authorities, alleging favouritism in the preparation of transfer lists, going to the extent of threatening resignations.

The transfer orders led to operation delays due to a crisis of doctors. According to insiders, some of the earlier scheduled surgeries could only be performed on Monday, when the transferred anaethesists agreed to oblige the facility.

In Doon Medical College, patients were left in a lurch after the transfer order led to an acute crisis of doctors. According to sources, the situation was so acute that some of the earlier scheduled operations could only be conducted on Monday after transferred anesthetists Dr Pankaj Sharma and Dr Narendra Singh Tomar offered their services to the facility.

"It is essential to retain these doctors until new physicians are engaged in the Doon Medical College. We receive the highest number of patients in the state. As such, we have requested the health department to retain these five transferred doctors," said Dr Tamta.

Moreover, radiologist transfers, as well as, one of them leaving on his own account have also led to the department of radiology being hit in a big way. Services like CT scan, MRI, X- ray, digital X-ray, Mamography ,ultrasound and bone densitometer are likely to suffer a setback at Doon, say sources at the hospital.

Doctors of the state Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS) have also raised a cry against this mass exodus of doctors calling the transfers "visibly biased."

"Even before transfer orders could be executed, hectic lobbying had started by hospitals to put transfers on hold. The government should deploy new doctors at the earliest," said a senior doctor of PMHS, preferring to remain anonymous reports TOI.