Doctor fights for life in ICU, figures on roster

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 4

A Covid positive doctor who is battling for life in the ICU of a private hospital has been assigned duty at the isolation ward of the Government Rajindra Hospital. This has irked his colleagues, who said it was not the one-off incident.

As per the duty roster of May, Dr Rajan Singh of the surgery department, who is currently under treatment, has been assigned duty on the second floor of the Covid ward at Rajindra Hospital.

His colleagues said many infected doctors had been assigned Covid duties as immediate bosses (heads of the departments) were not consulted while making rosters.

A doctor said: “Our friend is in the ICU and putting him on duty before he recovers is inhumane on the part of the authorities. They (people at the helm) are not aware of their own staff. How can they be expected to take care of patients?”

A head of the department requesting anonymity said: “All doctors under me are performing Covid duties, while doctors of medicine, anaesthesia and chest and TB, which are core departments to handle critical Covid cases, have been spared.”

Meanwhile, Surbhi Malik, in-charge, Covid isolation, said: “It must have been a human error. I have been informed by the department concerned and the duty has already been changed. There are many doctors testing positive. So, sometimes information doesn’t reach the person preparing the roster.” She said Dr Rajan was serious and she already knew about his health.

Despite repeated attempts, Dr Rajan Singla, principal, Government Medical College, could not be contacted.