Transfers for doctors

Ahmedabad, May 30: Beginning with Ahmedabad, the State Health Department has initiated mass transfers of doctors and nurses who have comp...

Ahmedabad, May 30: Beginning with Ahmedabad, the State Health Department has initiated mass transfers of doctors and nurses who have completed three years of service in one place. Officials said next in line were doctors at civil hospitals in Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot who would be shifted to other districts within a day or two. Transfers would then be effected in public health centres all over the state.

A first-time move, the decision to shift doctors on a large scale has been necessitated by illegal private practice and its unwarranted influence, which has on a number of occasions resulted in misbehaviour with patients, health commissioner R M Patel told Express Newsline.

In Ahmedabad, 12 doctors, against whom a number of complaints had been received, were transferred on Saturday. Officials said some of the doctors who had been transferred from the Forensic Medicine Department of Civil Hospital had allegedly misbehaved with the hospital staff and police. There were several complaints against the way they had dealt with medico-legal cases and delay in submitting the post mortem reports.

Patel said there were 2,600 doctors in Gujarat and as per a state government resolution, the doctors should be posted at one place for a maximum of three years. Interestingly, at the civil hospitals in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot several doctors have been at the same place since the last 10 to 14 years.

8220;Obviously, after such a long time in one place, some doctors had started illegal practice despite the fact that they were availing of the 25 per cent of salary non-practicing allowance,8221; disclosed Patel. Senior doctors in these cities had developed political and business contacts and wielded a lot of influence, he added.

Citing an instance, Patel said, a doctor had been working at the Surat Civil Hospital since 14 years and had developed such clout that no one dared shift him out. Such cases only earned a bad name for the department, he said.

In all the major cities it was found that the patients were at the receiving end.

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8220;The ultimate idea behind the transfers is that service should improve and be accessible to everyone,8221; said Patel.

In some hospitals, complaints have also been received against nurses and sanitary workers. Patel said most of the nurses in Gujarat had been working at the same place for more than 20-30 years. During this period they became familiar with the doctors and service to patients took a backseat.

Officials said the move was likely to evoke criticism from some quarters, but the transfers would not be revoked. The department has already instructed the hospital superintendents to relieve the doctors as soon as their relievers resume work.

Patel, however, was quick to assure that the transfers would not create a crisis or hamper medical services.

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Officials in the Health Department denied that doctors and professors of medical colleges would also be shunted out.

8220;We are filling vacant posts in the medical colleges so that teaching should not be affected. Therefore, new tutors, assistant and associate professors and professors are being appointed on priority,8221; Patel pointed out.

In Rajkot, Surat and Bhavnagar, the government was also expanding hospital facilities.

In Rajkot, the 56-bed civil hospital would be expanded to accommodate 100 beds, while in Surat the capacity has been increased from 130 to 150 beds.

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8220;Besides allowances, the government is providing the latest equipment and extending complete support to the doctors, but if they indulge in malpractices, the government cannot support them,8221; Patel said.