Thursday, 18 APRIL 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
With acute doctor crunch crippling service at the Emergency ward of the Government Doon Medical College (GDMC) on national holidays and Sundays, the patients and their near ones who visited the facility on Ramnavami-a national holiday- urged the health department and the hospital administration of take note of their predicament and ensure sufficient number of doctors are available at the Emergency ward on national holidays or Sundays.
Notably, on national holidays, doctors at the outpatient department (OPD) in GDMC work half a day and the service remains closed on Sundays. This is the reason why the patients who require immediate medical attention on these days visit the Emergency ward.
Grappling with this plight for years, the patients, while talking to this correspondent, demanded the hospital administration to make available sufficient numbers of doctors in the emergency ward to attend to them on such days.
“Health problems do not come on taking note of which days are holidays and which are not. For instance, an acute asthma attack came upon me without prior notice early this morning, which is a national holiday,” said a patient Vijay Uniyal. “The OPDs at GDMC are routinely closed on Sundays and national holidays, forcing patients like me who need urgent treatment to visit the Emergency ward. Here things are dismal too. The Emergency ward is often understaffed, ‘he said, adding that this problem must be addressed immediately.
Recounting the same mess she faced at the Emergency ward of GDMC on a holiday, patient Reena Kumari said that the crunch of doctors there was landing them in serious trouble. “We throng this State-run facility because we cannot afford exorbitant medical expenses involving private hospitals. But on national holidays and Sundays, the OPDs are usually closed and that forces us to visit the Emergency ward where service is found impeded with less than the required number of doctors,” she said and added that the hospital administration should sit up and facilitate the duty of more doctors at this important ward on holidays.
Told of the patients’ woes, the Emergency ward in-charge and a physician, Dr Naresh said that the emergency ward is overseen by a physician assisted by doctors who, on completion of internship, are eligible to treat patients. “The Emergency ward operates 24/7 on holidays with one doctor on duty in three shifts – morning, evening, and night. One doctor may seem insufficient in view of the throng of patients on holidays but additional doctors are just a call away. If summoned, they will rush in and attend to serious emergencies,” he said and then admitted in the same breath that in case there are more doctors at the Emergency ward on holidays it would definitely enhance patient care.
