At least 26 junior doctors out of 65 in Jamshedpur-based Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) have resigned in past two months allegedly after a new stricter duty code was implemented in the hospital, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
“The highest number of six doctors have resigned from the surgery department while five each have resigned from the anaesthesia, medicine and ophthalmology departments. Now, 39 junior doctors are left in MGMMCH. The number of patients is constantly rising and the hospital needs more and more doctors to deliver better treatment and medical services,” a senior doctor said, not willing to be quoted.
A MGMMCH staff alleged the resignations came after the implementation of a new stricter duty code in MGMMCH recently.
“Under the new duty code, attendance, presence in the wards, shift-wise duty roaster and punctuality is being monitored round the clock. Show cause notices were served and action initiated against some doctors found absent in the wards during surprise inspection by the senior doctors and departmental heads. The resignations just followed,” he said.
According to the officials, Dr Saurav Kumar, Dr Harishankar Singh, Dr Sweety, Dr Cimona Kumar, Dr Anurag Singh and Dr Praveen Kumar Hembram from the surgery department, Dr Saurav Sagar from orthopedic, Dr Sandip Kumar, Dr Suryakant Chowdhary, Dr Yuvraj, Dr Jitendra Kumar and Dr N Mariyam from anaesthesia, Dr Pragati Mishra and Dr Pragati Baxla from gynaecology, Dr Jeetu, Dr Neetu Kumari , Dr Shekhar Suman, Dr Ashish Kumar and Dr Rituraj from ophthalmology, Dr Shagufta Shaheen, Dr Afsana, Dr Rupam Sarangi, Dr J Akhtar and Dr Muskan from medicine, Dr Nilesh Ranjan from ENT and Dr Soumya Bharti from the psychiatry department have tendered their resignations voluntarily during the past two months.
{{/usCountry}}According to the officials, Dr Saurav Kumar, Dr Harishankar Singh, Dr Sweety, Dr Cimona Kumar, Dr Anurag Singh and Dr Praveen Kumar Hembram from the surgery department, Dr Saurav Sagar from orthopedic, Dr Sandip Kumar, Dr Suryakant Chowdhary, Dr Yuvraj, Dr Jitendra Kumar and Dr N Mariyam from anaesthesia, Dr Pragati Mishra and Dr Pragati Baxla from gynaecology, Dr Jeetu, Dr Neetu Kumari , Dr Shekhar Suman, Dr Ashish Kumar and Dr Rituraj from ophthalmology, Dr Shagufta Shaheen, Dr Afsana, Dr Rupam Sarangi, Dr J Akhtar and Dr Muskan from medicine, Dr Nilesh Ranjan from ENT and Dr Soumya Bharti from the psychiatry department have tendered their resignations voluntarily during the past two months.
{{/usCountry}}MGMMCH superintendent Dr Balram Jha, however, said this was a normal procedure as junior doctors resigned ahead of competitive exams for higher education every year.
“It’s nothing abnormal. The junior doctors resign every year to prepare for competitive exams to get into PG courses and again for super specialisation after obtaining a PG degree. It happens every year. The strict duty code may also be a factor but the main reason is preparation for higher studies. To fill up the vacancies, we have selected 12 new doctors out of 20 applicants. Six will be deputed in anaesthesia and three doctors each will be posted in the TB, chest and medicine departments,” Dr Jha told HT on Tuesday.