GNDH services remain crippled as stir continues

PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, February 8

With the strike of resident doctors entering the fourth day on Friday, the health services at the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) of the Government Medical College continue to remain crippled.

The critical patients, who were coming to the emergency ward of the hospital, are being shifted to PGI, Chandigarh, or private hospitals for treatment. Patients can be seen leaving the hospital in absence of a proper care.

A woman patient from Gurdaspur Central Jail was brought to the hospital in a serious condition. However, in the absence of staff in the emergency ward, a senior doctor referred her to the PGI. She was shifted from the Gurdaspur Civil Hospital. “Now, we have to take permission from higher-ups before taking her to the PGI and we are losing a crucial time in this process,” a staff member said.

The resident doctors have been protesting for the past four days seeking removal of medical superintendent Dr Surinderpal Singh for his alleged inappropriate remarks against resident doctors. They have been boycotting work following two back to back incidents of eve-teasing. Also the repeated incidents of assault on doctors has also led to resentment among the residents doctors.

A few days ago, a resident doctor, identified as Dr Sachin Vardan, was manhandled by a patient’s drunk kin. A protest was also lodged at that time. The accused was later nabbed so the doctors had called off the strike after assurance from the hospital authorities for proper security arrangements.

In 2016, two junior doctors were manhandled by kin of an employee of the Municipal Corporation (MC) who died in a road mishap. A similar incident was also reported in April last year.

Dr Sumit, a resident doctor, said the members of the Resident Doctors’ Association had met Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kamaldeep Singh Sangha seeking his intervention. He said there was a positive response from his side and he assured to take up the matter with the authorities concerned. He said the association would hold a press conference on Saturday to announce their further course of action.

Dr Surinder Pal, on the other hand, said the security guard, who “teased” lady resident doctors, had been arrested while the security was being strengthened at the hospital. He said he had already apologised if any of his remarks had hurt the resident doctors. He said the residents doctors should return to work so that people could not suffer more.