PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The shortage of surgeons at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital has raised concerns among authorities and patients due to its impact on the number of surgeries performed and outpatient department (OPD) visits. The principal medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Manu Jain informed that less number of surgeries are being conducted at the district hospital. This issue is primarily attributed to the lack of surgeons. Currently, there are three sanctioned positions for surgeons at the district hospital, but only one position is filled, leaving two vacant. In an attempt to address this shortage, authorities transferred a surgeon from Pithoragarh to fill the second position in June; however, the surgeon has not yet taken up the assignment here. Having only one surgeon has created significant pressure, as this individual is responsible for all surgeries. When the said surgeon takes a leave, it becomes problematic, leading to a halt in surgeries during that time. Jain said that the shortage of surgeons has not only affected the number of surgeries but also impacted OPD treatment, as the single surgeon must manage both operating theatre duties and outpatient consultations. Currently, the hospital is performing over 100 surgeries per month, but many patients have had to be rescheduled for surgery due to this shortage. To increase the number of surgeries, it is crucial to fill the vacant surgeon positions. The hospital administration has raised this issue with the Director General of Health services and it is hoped that a resolution will be forthcoming, he added.
It will be recalled that recently, the absence of surgeon has resulted in a 30 per cent decrease in the number of surgeries performed at the district hospital. Typically, around 150 surgeries are conducted in a month in normal days, but during that period, only 100 surgeries were performed.
