BHOPAL: “Owing to various undue pressures, doctors are turning their back to government services and if this situation persists, government hospitals will run without doctors in coming years. However, it is good that MLAs or ministers are taking pain to change the condition of government hospitals and thus change the situation,” said patron of MP Medical Association, Dr Lalit Shrivastava while talking to Free Press, on Tuesday.
Member of legislative assembly from South-West Bhopal and revenue minister, Uma Shankar Gupta have initiated a programme to address problems of the patients coming to JP hospital and KN Katju hospital, which falls under his constituency. He planned to visit both the hospitals on every Monday for at least half an hour and listen to the problems of the patients.
However, doctors in the hospital are not happy with the minister’s move. On condition of anonymity, a doctor said that “Health minister taking stock of the situation in hospital is rational, but revenue minister coming and threatening the doctors of suspension on drop of the hat does not send a good message.”
Another doctor rued that it has become a fashion for everyone to come and give instructions to the doctors. But, none of them wants to provide adequate facilities to the hospital.
Citing the disparity in wages, another aggrieved doctor said that “Doctors are getting three pay band salary, while the administrative officers are getting five band salary. And not only that, even the officers are having several servants to help them, but the doctors do not have even a single helper, despite the fact that doctors work more hours than the IAS and SAS officers.”
KN Katju hospital superintendent Dr Asha Choudhary informed that the hospital is having 20 beds and are admitting 40 patients of expecting mothers. This apart, the hospital does not have a radiologist to operate ultra sonography machine. Every day around 800 to 1000 patients are visiting the OPD, she added.
According to sources, government hospitals are in severe shortage of staff as well as facilities. Out of 7,500 sanctioned posts of doctors only around 2,500 are working.
