Doon Medical college relieves transferred doctors

Dehradun: The State administration’s pressure finally had the Government Doon Medical College’s(GDMC) associate hospital relieve all transferred doctors headed to the mountainous regions to strengthen district hospital facilities in the region, on Wednesday.

Twenty doctors of the state health department attached to the medical college since the last two years were shifted by the state administration on June 15, 2017. Wednesday’s relieving is bound to affect the functioning of the biggest Government hospital of the State.

While 14 doctors from the general wing of the associated hospital of Doon Medical College have been relieved, six others have been shifted from the female wing of the hospital.According to those left behind, the transfer of these doctors is bound to affect the functioning of the emergency wing, radiology, pathology anaesthesia and general medicine.

The hospital currently has four anaesthesia specialists; a basic requirement of the maternity ward of the hospital running in 3 shifts. The general operations in the hospital would be affected, as the transfers leave no anesthetists remaining for the general hospital.

Similarly, the emergency wing has a sole Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) remaining.The emergency of the hospital runs 24 x 7. It now becomes a standing challenge for the hospital administration.

The Dialysis facility will also seemingly face a shut down with the lone nephrologists Dr Harish Basera getting transferred.

A similar situation exists in the radiology department, with the MRI specialist, Dr Yatindra Singh being put up for transfer. The entire workload of MRI, CT Scan, digital X ray, X Ray, ultra sound, mammography and bone densitometer will now have to be shouldered by Dr G S Joshi, a retired Director General (DG) of state health services working on contractual basis. Mr. Joshi is voicing his desire for leaving the job, in the face of excessive workload.

The hospital administration alert to the aftermath of transfers, had requested the state government for retention of five doctors: Dr Narendra Singh Tomar, Dr Pankaj Sharma, Dr Abhilasha Kohli (all anaesthetists), Dr Yatindra Singh (Radiologist) and Dr Deepika Jain (Pathologist), till alternatives were organized.

However, the pleading seems to have fallen on deaf ears and immediate relieving of all transferred doctors , ordered by the administration..

Allaying fears of healthcare facilities of the affiliated hospitals coming to a stand still, the Principal of the GDMC, Dr Pradeep Bharati Gupta, said that the emergency ward of the hospital would be managed by the EMO and the Senior Residents (SR) and Junior Residents (JR).

He added that the recruitment process for an EMO was underway. The Principal said that the anaesthesia would be looked after by somebody from the JSY of National Health Mission (NHM). Pacifying fears of a work stand still, he further added that the radiologists would be outsourced, in all probability from the PMHS.

The transfer orders of 241 doctors that had ensued on June 15 are seen as an attempt to strengthen facilities in all district hospitals located in mountainous areas.

A total of 171 doctors from hospitals located in the plains are being sent to mountainous locations. 70 medical recruitments serving in mountainous locations from the last many years, will be returning to the plains, reports the Pioneer.