VIP duties trouble doctors, patients in Amritsar

Manmeet Gill

Amritsar, February 14

The city being a popular destination for national and international tourists is often visited by a large number of VIPs and VVIPs every day resulting in inconvenience to poor patients as specialist doctors are often deputed on VIP emergency services.

As the specialist doctors are frequently deputed on VIP duties, the poor patients often fail to get the basic OPD services. The public health system in the state is already facing a shortage of at least 50 per cent of medical specialists in the health department.

In most cases, the department has deputed specialists to serve at two separate places on alternate days. It means that a specialist in a particular field is already serving for at least three days a week. With VIP duties, he gets to serve even for a less number of days.

A specialist doctor said, “If a specialist doctor who is already working at two separate institutes in the district is assigned an emergency VIP duty, it means that at least a hundred poor patients would not be able to get his consultation.”

The public health department in the district is already facing a shortage of specialist doctors. Most specialist doctors prefer to work in private sector as they get better chances of earning money without having to deal with departmental formalities.

A senior department official said, “Whenever a VIP comes, four specialists doctors from different departments including a lab technician, class IV worker and a driver are deputed on VIP duty.” He said that the employees assigned VIP duty have to chase the said VIP in their ambulance while the VIP guest has no intention to get medical consultation from them.

“While the specialists doctor is wasting away his time in chasing a VIP, at least hundred of his patients who need consultation are devoid of his services just because he is not available on his seat.”