Already grappling with shortage of beds due to the sudden spurt in Covid-19 cases, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) is now facing an acute shortage of doctors. The hospital has placed an advertisement seeking more doctors on daily emoluments of Rs 3,500 for serving in Covid wards.
DMCH secretary Prem Gupta said the institution has placed an advertisement to meet the shortage of doctors. He said that it is for the first time that the institute has had to hire doctors on daily basis to meet the requirements.
“Our doctors and paramedical staff are hard-pressed. They are working for long hours and some of them have even got infected. Most importantly, they are getting tired and mentally drained. We need more doctors to fill the gap and ease the existing staff,” said Prem Gupta.
He further said that they have spared 200 beds and all their 65 ICU beds, including those having ventilator facility, are occupied and there is a huge waiting list of patients.
“Right now we need doctors urgently. The number is not specific. The more doctors we get, the better it will be. We get patients not only from Ludhiana but from nearby districts of Malwa and Doaba region as well.
Besides Covid-19 patients, there are those suffering from other ailments,” said Gupta.
{{/usCountry}}Besides Covid-19 patients, there are those suffering from other ailments,” said Gupta.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Sandeep Puri, principal of the institute, said, “We are dealing with a pandemic. This means 50 Covid-19 patients are equivalent to 500 patients of dengue. To deal with the situation, we have to strategise accordingly. We need more manpower to tackle the situation. My doctors and staff are already working round-the-clock so we have decided to hire more doctors on Covid duties,” said Dr Puri.
The institute had recently urged doctors to come and offer voluntary service but no one turned up.
The hospital was recently served a notice by the health department after a 49-year-old Covid-19 patient, who was referred to the civil hospital, died while being shifted from DMCH.
Following the incident, additional chief secretary, health, Anurag Aggarwal conducted a meeting with the authorities of city’s private hospitals, asking them to put aside at least 50 ICU beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
DMCH has also increased the number of beds. The hospital has converted Dumra Auditorium into an isolation facility. Besides this, Ram Sharnam, a spiritual centre adjacent to DMCH, has also been converted into a Covid care centre.