GDMC to shift IPD doctors to radiology department to continue ultrasound service
Wednesday, 12 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Many patients reaching the Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) hospital have voiced concerns regarding the temporary discontinuation of ultrasound services at the facility until June 18. The apprehension arose when patients returned from the hospital after finding that the ultrasound service was not available due to the radiologist’s absence from the hospital premises. In response to this issue, the deputy medical superintendent at GDMC Dr Dhananjay Dobhal has assured patients that the hospital administration will temporarily deploy IPD doctors to the radiology department to ensure the continuity of ultrasound services.
Notably, two radiologists are currently responsible for providing ultrasound services at the radiology department. One of them conducts ultrasounds for pregnant women while the other serves general patients. Dr SP Kuidyal who performs ultrasounds for general patients has gone on leave till June 18, causing concern among many patients.
A patient Sheenu Rawat, expressed her concern regarding the interruption in ultrasound service over the past few days. She said that she had faced considerable inconvenience due to the unavailability of a radiologist in the radiology department to perform the ultrasound, resulting in her having to leave without the examination. She also highlighted the prolonged waiting period to undergo the ultrasound.
Another patient, Vipul Paul stated that despite organising his schedule to make time for a visit to the hospital for his ultrasound, he was informed upon arrival that the ultrasound service has been disrupted for some days now. He emphasised the importance of the hospital administration considering the employment of alternative radiologists for the radiology department. This will ensure that in cases the permanent staff is unavailable, the service will not be interrupted in the future, he added.
Regarding this, Dobhal told this correspondent that the hospital administration acknowledges the patient’s concern regarding the temporary discontinuation of ultrasound services. He said that in response to this issue, the hospital administration has sent a letter to the head of the radiology department requesting the temporary relocation of IPD doctors to the radiology department to prevent a prolonged disruption of ultrasound services at the hospital. Further, he stated that to address this issue permanently, the hospital administration has urged the agency concerned to provide temporary radiologists to cover for the permanent radiologist’s absence, whenever he is on leave.
Dobhal further informed that the administration has planned to install new ultrasound machines with a new radiologist on the first floor of the OPD building, taking into consideration crowd management and other issues. Subsequently, a new company has been approached and it will soon register a radiologist and the ultrasound machine under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act for performing service at GDMC legally, he added.
