Chandigarh, January 9
Faced with the mammoth task of running the evening OPD with skeletal staff and little help from the Health Ministry, the PGI today resumed the facility with the hope that the adamant resident doctors would finally join in, realising that without their participation, keeping the show running could prove to be an uphill task.
Even though the facility was started at the PGI on December 2, the Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, formally inaugurated it saying that today it was being introduced at a number of government hospitals in New Delhi. “I’m sure that eventually the resident doctors will join in, as it will be a combined service with the help of faculty members and residents,” he remarked.
A total of 27 patients, many of them from surrounding areas, visited the new OPD Block to avail themselves of the facility, which has been started as per the wishes of the Union Health Minister, Mr Shatrughan Sinha. Even though the facility has faced rough weather with the residents refusing to join in from day one, other factors like winter vacations of the faculty made it possible to run it for just four days.
On the other hand, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), after the failure of its talks with the authorities, today said it would soon approach the Prime Minister and Union Health Minister to apprise them of the situation. “We tried our best to resolve the issue amicably but, having failed, we will convey the decision to the PGI Director in writing tomorrow,” representatives said. They added that they were in touch with their counterparts at AIIMS, and would jointly plead their case before the minister.
Talking with mediapersons, Professor Sharma said some of the demands made before the PGI Standing Finance Committee had been accepted. “Posts of six Assistant Professor, 20 senior and 20 junior resident have been sanctioned from the next financial year, which will be an additional help in running evening OPD,” he said. He added that request for additional nurses and para medical staff had been placed before the ministry.
He, however, ruled out the possibility of a separate cadre of general duty medical officers (GDMO) being recruited for the evening OPD, as he felt that it would create two systems in the institute, which could possibly deteriorate quality care being offered right now. He added that if the situation demanded, the PGI would start investigations during the evening OPD barring tests, which were to be done on an empty stomach.
In reply to a question on whether it was an experiment which would remain restricted to six faculties only, he said depending on the public response it could become a regular feature, with other departments being included in the list. “Running evening OPD in all faculties would amount to duplicating of the entire services and the basic question remains that can we afford it,” he added hastily.
Professor Sharma added that talks with resident doctors would continue and some of their demands like rescheduling their duty hours in view of evening OPD duty could be considered.
After the bitter experience of their failed talks with the PGI authorities to break to deadlock over evening OPD, the Association of Resident Doctors at the PGI, has decided to join hands with their counterparts at AIIMS, who according to them have also refused to join the new facility. They have also decided to bring the matter to the notice of the Prime Minister and Union Health Minister.
