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Tribune News Service
Bathinda, April 18
Scores of TB patients were left at the receiving end as the lone doctor at the TB hospital was on leave on Thursday. While a few patients waited for the doctor to arrive, others went to the general OPD unit of the Civil Hospital for treatment.
A number of patients were seen either waiting in the OPD unit or roaming in the lobby, enquiring about the doctor.
But much to their dismay, no doctor turned up to examine them. Left disheartened, many of them returned without taking the medicines while a few of them were guided by staff members to get themselves examined at TB and Chest OPD in the Civil Hospital.
Gurwant Kaur (62), a patient of TB, had come from Jeon Singhwala village with her husband for treatment.
Kaur was coughing and could barely hold herself up. She sat on the floor. Kaur said, “This is really unfortunate as the government has introduced such a big hospital with medical infrastructure and large building, but it has failed miserably to ensure that at least one doctor could treat patients on working days.”
Another patient Baldev Singh, who had come from Maisarkahna, said, “We have been waiting for hours for the doctor to arrive but no one has come. I was asked to bring the lab tests reports so that medication could be started but since no doctor is available at the hospital, I have to go back and come again some other day for treatment.”
An employee at the TB hospital said there is only one doctor at the TB hospital and when that doctor is on leave, it is the patients who have to bear the brunt.
There is a TB and chest expert at the Civil Hospital but a majority of patients, especially those coming from villages, are not aware of it.
Dr Rosy Aggarwal, district TB officer, said, “There is one post of medical officer (chest and TB expert) lying vacant at the hospital. When I am on leave, patients can get themselves examined at the TB and chest expert’s clinic in the Civil Hospital.”