Doctors at Faridkot medical college accuse authorities of apathetic attitude; seek safety

Tribune News Service
Faridkot, September 23

Several medical professionals of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH) in Faridkot have accused the hospital authorities of apathetic attitude. 

With 122 COVID-19 positive patients under treatment in GGSMCH, the doctors said they were feeling at risk. They claimed, that their calls for help had gone unheeded. 

Among them, 170 are junior resident doctors who are students in postgraduate medical courses here. 

The junior doctors are doing round-the-clock duties in COVID wards of the hospital here. Describing them as "cannon fodder" in the fight against the pandemic, the association of the junior doctors on Tuesday met the Superintendent of the medical college, and demanded safety and security for them in the hospital.

They claimed, that unregulated and uncontrolled entry of a large number of attendants, relatives and other people in the hospital was not only exposing them to a high risk of infection, but also there were increasing incidents of threats to them. 

In a memorandum submitted to the Superintendent, the doctors claimed that many among them were women who were performing round-the-clock duties, adding, that the unregulated entry in the hospital was a threat to their security during the night hours.

They alleged, that security personnel in the hospital don't keep a check on private vehicles entering the hospital premises. 

It led to an uncontrolled number of attendants and other persons in the hospital, increasing the risk of community spread as most of these entrants in the hospitals were without masks, they said.

The doctors alleged, that there was no adequate lighting arrangement in the hospital premises during the night hours on the road to the emergency and even in Covid isolation wards that had led to many unwanted incidences in the past like harassment of doctors and theft of vehicles.

They said there was no cafeteria working in the hospital 24x7 due to which the healthcare workers working continuously for long hours don't get to eat anything.

The doctors alleged that a kitchen in the doctors' hostel was non-functional for the last many days, and they were relying on tiffin service. 

More than 50 doctors and paramedical staff in the hospital have already got infected with Covid-19 here.

Dr Shleikh Mittal, Medical Superintendent, said: “The security issue of doctors has been raised with the police and we are solving their other problems also.”