Shortage of doctors hits services at Uttarakhand's GB Pant University hospital

RUDRAPUR: After waiting for the doctor to arrive to treat his son suffering from pneumonia, Anil Kumar Rastogi, was perplexed when he was advised to rush his son to a higher centre, citing a shortage of staff and equipment at the civil hospital at Govind Ballabh Pant Agriculture & Technology University in Pantnagar of Udham Singh Nagar district. "Not just vacant posts, but unavailability of doctors has paralysed healthcare services in this forty-bedded hospital," said Rastogi.
The hospital also lacks a service manual and is facing issues with the recruitment and retention of doctors. The university, known to be the harbinger of the green revolution, has only one hospital, catering to a populace of over 22,000 people. The hospital is facing a shortage of staff and medical equipment, leading to difficulties in treating patients. There are only two doctors as against the sanctioned posts of eight doctors. Dr Durgesh Yadav was arrested on December 13 last year after a third-year student lodged a rape complaint against him. Ophthalmologist Dr Ila Singhal quit the job and dentist Dr Pankaj Agrawal is on leave for quite some time now, while one doctor retired recently.
Medical officer (MO) Dr Deepak Tripathi and his gynaecologist wife Dr Ritu Tripathi are the only doctors available here and that too only in the daytime. People, especially the students, have to run to either Rudrapur or Haldwani for even small ailments. When asked about the reasons for the poor condition of the hospital, a senior administration official at the varsity, who wished not to be named said, "The officials at the varsity do not contemplate the need to recruit doctors here. Their apathy has led to this situation."