Change In Outpatient Ward Timings : Gandhi Hospital doctors, staff up in arms

Hyderabad: The proposed change of Out-patient (OP) ward timings in Gandhi hospital has not gone down well with the doctors and medical staff.

Sources stated that government is keen on extending OP timings by another two hours. As against the existing timings of 9 am to 12 noon, doctors are asked to do OP services from 9 am to 2 pm.

The Telangana Government Doctors Association expressed its unhappiness at the decision.

They said the government had taken the decision unilaterally without consulting the stakeholders and without taking into consideration the infrastructure and facilities in hospital.

According to doctors, patients visiting hospital after 12 noon are still being treated in emergency department and at no time the needy are sent back without giving treatment.

After extending OP services, doctors go for rounds in wards (up to 2 pm) to examine the condition of inpatients. From 2 pm onwards the PGs join emergency duties.

This whole schedule would get disturbed if the OP timings are changed in teaching hospitals, they said.

Also, lack of manpower (doctors, nurses and paramedical staff) in hospitals and non-availability of medicines must also be looked at before taking such a key decision.

Without attending to various problems, simply increasing OP timings would not serve purpose, members of the association said.

TGDA members have decided to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss on this issue after which they are likely to meet Hospital Superintendent Dr Shravan Kumar to express their opposition to the move.