Patients Suffer As Tangla CHC Faces Shortage Of Doctors

A Correspondent

TANGLA: Even as the patients are having a hard time due to the strike by doctors across the nation, the patients of Tangla CHC are being allegedly deprived of medical treatment and are facing a harrowing situation for a different reason – lack of adequate number of doctors.

The hospital is being run by only three doctors, including the superintendent, Dr Bijoy Kumar Chakravorty. The doctors allegedly arrive late for duty or do not come at all. In a similar situation on Saturday, more than 50 patients faced a harrowing situation when there were no doctors to attend to them till 11.30 pm. Sources informed that some of the doctors had been transferred and some had left for higher studies due to which no doctors where assigned charges. Owing to such a situation, the management body members headed by Paneri MLA Kamali Basumatari held a meeting on May 13. It was attended by Joint Director of Health Service, Udalguri, Dr Tayebur Rahman. Resolutions were adopted to bring in doctors.

“Despite heavy flow of patients in the CHC, most of the doctors arrive and leave at their own will, forcing patients, no matter how critical their condition, to wait for hours,” said a staff of the hospital on condition of anonymity. He further stated that lack of inspection from the authorities concerned had given leeway to the doctors to show up for duty whenever they deemed necessary. “Most of these doctors run private clinics in neighbouring pharmacies and the hospital management is least bothered about doctors not being punctual and regular,” he alleged.

The Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Bijoy Kumar Chakravorty and Joint Director of Health Service, Dr Tayebur Rahman could not be reached for comments. Public outrage against lack of proper healthcare facilities in the CHC has already led to incidents like vandalizing of hospital and ambulance. The locals have exhorted the State Health Minister to make a visit and take ground report of the hospital. What has added to the woes of the poverty-stricken people is the role of doctors who are hands-in-gloves with laboratories and prescribe unnecessary medical tests and medicines which are available in neighbouring pharmacies only.

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