Anaesthetist shortage pains BMC hospitals

10 out of the 16 civic-run peripheral hospitals in the city don't have even one anaesthetist on call; health department seeks to remedy situation by next month

Anaesthetist shortage pains BMC hospitals

10 out of the 16 civic-run peripheral hospitals in the city don't have even one anaesthetist on call; health department seeks to remedy situation by next month

SURGERIES at the civic-run peripheral hospitals in the city could turn out to be painful affairs, for 10 of the 16 hospitals don't have even one anaesthetist on call.

To solve the shortage of anaesthetists, the health department is planning to spend between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh per month on three permanent anaesthetists who will be working in each hospital on three shifts

Taking cognisance of the severe shortage, which is a result of the anaesthetists being paid meagre salaries, BMC Health Committee Chairperson Rajul Patel has called for the nearly 48 vacancies to be filled immediately.

"Doctors don't want to work for these BMC-run hospitals because they are paid meagre salaries and even those on contract are given barely Rs 300 per hour or between Rs 200 and Rs 500 per surgery," said a senior BMC official, on condition of anonymity.

"Some posts in the hospitals are vacant and the Municipal Commissioner needs to pay attention to the current requirement," said Patel.

BMC's standing committee chairperson Rahul Shewale said, "From August 1, the BMC will be hiring only postgraduate and super-specialised doctors for the civic-run hospitals."

Admitting that anaesthetists were being paid precious little, he added, "We now plan to spend between
Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh per month on three permanent anaesthetists who will be working in each hospital on three shifts."

"The doctors will be asked to sign a two-year bond and postgraduate doctors will be fined Rs 15 lakh for violating it and resigning before the term ends, while super-specialised doctors will be fined Rs 25 lakh," said a senior official

Currently, out of the 16 peripheral hospitals, only six ncluding Bhagwati, Siddharta, Bhabha and V N Desaiu00a0 have anaesthetists on contract, who are paid Rs 300 per hour.

The Other Side
Executive Health Officer Dr A Bandiwadekar, said, "I don't have enough details about this." Dr Seema Malik, chief medical superintendent of the peripheral hospitals, said, "We will be hiring doctors in August and they will be asked to sign a bond."