Udupi hospital lacks of MD physician - social workers

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi :  Social workers have urged the State government to appoint a physician with an M.D. degree in general medicine for the District Government Hospital here to cope up with the number of patients needing specialist help.

Addressing media on Dec 29,Tuesday, Vishu Shetty, social worker, said that a physician with M.D. in general medicine earlier was treating a majority of routine health problems like fever, cold and cough, and also some serious diseases like tuberculosis, ailments with kidney, liver and heart. Apart from attending patients at the Intensive Care Unit, the physician is supposed to provide certificates for surgery at the hospital.

On an average, nearly 200 patients visit the hospital every day with these problems. For the last 10 to 15 days, there was no physician with M.D. in general medicine at the hospital.

Of the two qualified physicians available at the hospital, one had taken voluntary retirement about four months ago. The other physician was on long  leave.

As a result, the patients were now getting treated by the duty doctors in the hospital. They were not getting treatment by a M.D. in general medicine. This was affecting many patients, a few of whom were forced to seek treatment at private hospitals. But, it was impossible for poor patients to approach private hospitals.

 Shetty had brought this matter to the notice of the District Surgeon and had written about the subject to the Deputy Commissioner, urging them to appoint a physician with M.D. in general medicine as the post was vacant.

“It is the responsibility of the district in-charge Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, Health Minister U T Khader and other elected representatives to take this matter seriously,” he said.

District surgeon’s reacts :   Meanwhile, Mahendra, District Surgeon, stated that while one physician had retired, the other had been transferred to Mangaluru, two months ago.

“But we have not relieved him as we want one qualified physician here. He has gone on leave on medical grounds. The patients are now being treated by two MBBS doctors and specialists from other departments. We have written to the government to appoint a physician with M.D. in general medicine,” he said.