Staff shortage at Rohtak PGIMS forces patients to wait for hours

Tribune News Service

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, April 17

Patients and their attendants visiting the PGIMS in Rohtak are forced to wait for long hours to get their registration cards made and get the prescribed investigations done, owing to the acute shortage of employees at the institute.

The hapless patients, including elderly persons and women, have no option but to wait for their turn amid chaotic scenes despite their poor health.

Sources said more than 40 per cent of the sanctioned posts of the non-teaching employees at the PGIMS were lying vacant.

Issue raised with govt

The issue of requirement for staff has been raised with the state government. Recruitment is expected to be carried out after the model code of conduct is lifted. — Monika, Joint director, PGIMS

Massive crowds and unruly scenes were witnessed during a recent visit to the PGIMS OPDs, with patients and their attendants engaged in arguments with other patients/attendants or employees deployed there.

Some patients, who were not in a position to stand, were seen sitting on the floor in queues.

“We have been waiting for about three hours to get the OPD card made and are taking turns to stand in the queue. Nearly 100 patients are waiting in the queue, but there is only one employee at the counter,” said Akshat, who had brought his grandfather for treatment.

Dayanand, an elderly patient who was barely able to stand, lamented that he had been waiting for nearly two hours at an OPD counter just to get a stamp on his card.

Sushila, who had come for the treatment of her husband, said the unruly crowds at the OPDs cause inconvenience and harassment, especially to women visitors.

“A war-like situation prevails at the PGIMS OPDs and getting treatment involves fighting multiple battles on various fronts,” she said.

Several other patients too aired a similar sentiment.

“Heated arguments among patients, attendants and employees at OPDs are common due to the shortage of staff at the institute,” admitted Ravi Sangwan, the president of the Non-Teaching Employees Association at the PGIMS.

He said that the association had been urging the authorities concerned as well as the state government to get vacant posts filled in view of the prevailing situation, but to no avail.

PGIMS Joint Director Monika said the requirement of staff had been raised with the state government, adding that fresh recruitment was expected to be carried out after the lifting of the model code of conduct.

“If there is a crisis at the OPD of any given department, it will be examined and resolved,” she said.

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