Friday, 30 AUGUST 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Questions are being raisef regarding the shortage of radiologistits in the Dehradun district hospital, affecting patients seeking ultrasounds, MRIs and CT scans. Many patients have reported extended waiting times ranging from hours to weeks due to this shortage. They urged for the prompt recruitment of additional radiologists at the hospital to address this issue.
A patient Neelam Chauhan highlighted her personal experience. She stated that despite having a gallstone necessitating an ultrasound, she had to wait for two days due to the workload of the sole radiologist. The presence of only one radiologist causes substantial waiting times. She stressed the need for hospital administration to promptly address this lack of personnel in the radiology department.
Further, another patient Vijay Uniyal said that as a service worker, he is required to undergo ultrasound every month due to some ailment. However, the lack of radiologists forces him to visit the hospital first to schedule an appointment, where he receives a specific date for the ultrasound that may require him to take a two-day leave from work. It is recommended that the district hospital appoint at least two additional radiologists to address this issue, he said.
The medical superintendent at the district hospital coronation Dr VS Chauhan told this correspondent that previously, there were two radiologists providing services in the radiology department of the district hospital. However, recently one of the radiologists has been relocated to a different location, leaving only one radiologist to manage the workload. This reduction in staff has escalated issues for the remaining radiologists and has resulted in an increase in the waiting list for patients, with delays of one to two days. In response to this situation, the hospital administration has reached out to the health department to expedite the recruitment of a new radiologist at the hospital. Chauhan pointed out that there are currently 51 doctor positions available at the hospital, out of which only 44 have been filled. Additionally, five of these positions are occupied by doctors on a contractual basis.
