10 doctors at Rewari hospital remain absent, one since 2011

Poor service conditions at the hospital made us quit job. Also, the Delhi and Punjab government are offering better salaries to us.

A doctor requesting anonymity

We had sent the report of absentee doctors to director of health services. We are putting efforts to reduce the plight of patients .

DR ASHOK KUMAR, Rewari CMO

ROHTAK: Patients at the government hospital in Rewari are facing problem in getting treatment due to the shortage of doctors and inadequate infrastructure. Of the 52 sanctioned posts, 14 posts are lying vacant and 10 doctors have been absent from their duty for a long time.

According to information provided by a RTI activist, Dr Narender Kumar has not turned once at the hospital since Februray 2, 2011, Dr Vinay Mohan had resigned on September 9, 2013 but his resignation was not accepted and since then he remains absent.

Dr Bhanu Priya has remained absent since 2016, Sanjay Gupta since 2015, Dr Ravi Yadav since 2016, Dr Vijay Pal Yadav since 2017, Dr Ramakant Yadav and Dr Ratna Rekha since 2018, Dr Mamta Yadav since March and Dr Peeyush Yadav has not been coming to the hospital since April this year.

At an average, 429 patients have been visiting the out-patient department (OPD) daily this year at the civil hospital in Rewari. Last year, 475 patients came to the hospital everyday, 449 in 2016, 384 in 2015 and 203 in 2014.

RTI activist Saket said most of these absentee doctors have been running their own hospitals despite giving resignation.

“The doctors have been absent from their duty for a long time as they want the government to sack them on the basis of poor attendance. If a doctor gives the resignation, then he has to pay ₹25 lakh in the state’s exchequer as per the rules of the Haryana government,” he added.

On being asked about the reasons that made the government doctors quit or remain absent from their job, a doctor, requesting anonymity, said the poor service conditions at the hospital made them quit their job.

“The Delhi and Punjab government are offering better salaries to us. Delhi gives fourth assured carrier progressions (ACPS) in fourth, nine and twentieth year of service while Punjab gives assured carrier progressions in fourth, ninth and fourteenth year. However, Haryana gives three assured carrier progressions in 5th, 10th and 15th year of service,” he said.

A patient from Dawna village of the district, Sharmila Yadav, said she had visited the hospital after getting chest pain.

“Due to shortage of cardiologist, I waited for nearly three hours to get the treatment. The government should think about the patients and fill the posts of doctors lying vacant,” she said.

Rewari chief medical officer, Dr Ashok Kumar, said they had sent the report of these 10 doctors who have been absent from duty to director of health services.

“We are putting efforts to reduce the plight of patients and provide better healthcare facilities to them,” Kumar said.