PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The functioning of the Ophthalmology department at Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital is being affected due to the recent transfer of doctors, raising concerns among patients about delays in treatment and long waiting hours.
Notably, Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital was specially established to provide specialised eye care to patients. Furthermore, following the upgradation of the Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) Hospital from a District Hospital to a medical college a few years ago, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital was designated as the District Hospital. Along with this change, Gandhi Shatabdi Eye Hospital was also brought under the district hospital’s management. The current non-availability of permanent doctors for the vacant posts, after the recent transfers, has raised several questions regarding patient care and service delivery.
The officials said that there are two sanctioned posts for doctors in the hospital’s Ophthalmology department. The principal medical superintendent, Dr Yatendra Singh informed that two doctors, Dr Shashi Vasan and Dr Mahesh Khetan, had been previously providing services in the Ophthalmology department at the hospital. However, both were recently transferred to the office of DG Health. “Following their transfer, an eye specialist, Dr Suvrat Arora from the Haridwar district hospital was to join the department at this hospital on July 2 or 3, but he has not yet reported for duty. Considering this, the chief medical officer of Dehradun temporarily deployed Dr Neha Panti, an eye specialist from the Mussoorie sub-district hospital, to provide services at the hospital for two to three days. She provided services for two to three days and then returned to her earlier post,” he added.
The hospital administration has, however, assured that it is trying all means to solve the impasse. They have recently requested the DG Health and CMO of Dehradun to temporarily send Dr Vasan back to the hospital. Vasan has returned to the hospital and will provide service until the new eye specialist begins providing services, he said.
