Share roster of docs on night duty daily: State to med colleges
KOLKATA: The state Health department has asked various medical colleges in the state to share the roster of doctors on night duty on a daily basis.
The development has taken place after allegations surfaced that during night the strength of doctors is much lesser compared to the number during day time.
Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam recently gave certain directives to various medical colleges in the city to ensure better services at night.
The medical colleges have been asked to send a list of doctors who will be on night duty on a particular day. The medical colleges have to mention the names of the doctors, their mobile number and also the names of the senior officials on duty. The medical college authorities have to send the details in an excel sheet by the afternoon.
It was learnt that Health Secretary Nigam also urged the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital to enhance the infrastructure and better health services during night.
According to sources, the Health department has directed the medical colleges to provide the list of doctors who will be on night duty in various departments like emergency, medicine, surgery, gynecology, orthopedic and pediatric.
The medical colleges like SSKM and RG Kar which have a trauma care unit will have to give the details of doctors who will be on duty at these units at night. It has also been made mandatory that one assistant superintendent and a deputy nursing superintendent have to be present at the hospital at night. Additional superintendent of the medical college will supervise the matter.
Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instruction a couple of months ago, SSKM Hospital had taken prompt action and decided to deploy a senior doctor on night duty. The development takes place after two junior doctors were manhandled at its Trauma Care Centre by the family members of a deceased patient late in the night. The incident occurred a few months ago.
Banerjee had sent a strong message to the SSKM Hospital authorities saying that treatment of emergency patients cannot be delayed only because the “procedure of admission is not completed”.
She also directed the SSKM Hospital officials that treatment should be given “immediately while the procedure for admission can be conducted later”.