PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
While expressing concerns over the private hospitals drawing a larger number of patients than the State-run ones during his Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) Hospital visit on Monday, the Health minister Subodh Uniyal urged the doctors to collectively work on improving the facility’s public image. “They must go all-out to ensure the patient footfall increases here,” he said. He was at the hospital to inaugurate several new facilities at GDMC Hospital, including an occupational therapy unit, registration counters on all floors, a sports injury clinic, a Sysmex machine in the Pathology department, health packages and an anesthesia workstation. He was accompanied by the director of Medical Education, Dr Ajay Arya and GDMC Principal Dr Geeta Jain.
After unveiling the new facilities, he held a brief discussion with the faculty and doctors of GDMC Hospital. The hospital administration also showcased a presentation about the initiatives taken to enhance services for patients, increase in Ayushman beneficiaries and growth in the patient numbers, among others.
Uniyal noted that the facilities at GDMC Hospital have been significantly enhanced and highlighted the growth observed across all departments. “The inauguration of the new facilities will provide better services to residents and patients visiting the hospital,” he said and announced plans to arrange for 100 beds at a proposed cancer hospital in Harrawala for the treatment of the cancer patients referred from the GDMC hospital.
During his discussion, Uniyal questioned why, despite having highly qualified doctors and improved facilities, more people are choosing private hospitals over GDMC. He urged the doctors to create a positive perception and public image of GDMC Hospital so that patients prefer it to private facilities. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining hygiene within the hospital premises and asked all concerned to reduce referral cases within the hospital.
Uniyal also directed the hospital administration, including doctors, to ensure that no medicines from outside are prescribed unnecessarily.
