GMCH-32 loses 22 docs in 9 months

Members of the Doctors Welfare Association,who,on Tuesday,observed a one-day token strike for long working hours and not a single day off in a week said that these doctors had no option but to leave due to drawn out working hours at the hospital which leaves the doctors with no time for themselves.

They also blamed the hospital authorities for not expediting the recruitment process on the pattern of AIIMS,New Delhi and PGIMER,Chandigarh where walk-in-interviews are held and doctors are recruited immediately. However,the authorities are shifting the blame of delay in appointments of the doctors to the long drawn procedure of the UT Administration.

Dr Raj Bahadur,director principal,GMCH 32 said,“We got the approval only last week and we have already sent appointment letters to about 50 doctors. However,it remains to be seen as to how many of these actually join,if they do not join,we will re-advertise these posts again.”

“In future,we will make attempts to reduce the time period between the selection of the doctors and the approval from the UT administration,” he added.

When asked about the long working hours of the senior residents,he said,“Certain departments such as Surgery and Medicine do not have junior residents as there are no post-graduate seats,leaving the senior residents overburdened with work.”

Sources in the hospital said that a written test was conducted in July and the results were declared on September 6. Interviews had also been conducted but the selected doctors have not yet received their appointment letters. Due to delay of three months,most of the applicants who are well qualified doctors have already joined other places.

There are about 160 posts of senior residents at the hospital out of which only 88 are filled.