Mumbai: 23 years on, JJ Hospital sends suspension letters to missing doctors

The State Health Department has finally moved to suspend seven doctors who have been on lsquoleaversquo from their postings at the Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital the largest public medical facility in the city The period of absenteeism extends from four years to 23 years in some casesJJ OPD takes in 7500 patients a day Unavailability of senior doctors affects the clinical quality of treatmentThe response to an RTI application filed in June last year by a JJ alumni shows that across the state 26 teaching posts at staterun hospitals have been lying in limbo for 23 years due to absenteeism by doctors on lsquoleaversquo These vacancies are largely of posts such as senior professors assistant professors and associate professors In a hospital professors perform the dual role of conducting critical surgeries and guiding resident doctors in how to handle cases This takes the work load off the head of the departmentAt JJ Hospital there have been vacant posts in critical departments such as paediatrics two neurosurgery two gyneacology and obstetrics one orthopedics one and preventive and social medicine oneWhen sunday midday contacted Dr Tatyarao P Lahane Dean of the Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital he said that since November the health department has been working towards conducting Departmental Enquiries DE against the missing doctors ldquoThere were as many as 26 doctors in the state and we are in a process of sending them suspension letters Many of them have already received the samerdquo he saidLahane added that the process of rehiring can only begin once the suspension procedure is completed ldquoThe report will be sent to the ministry They will take up hiring accordinglyrdquo added Lahane These are not loose ends that are expected to be tied very soonThe applicant who didnrsquot wish to be named said ldquoThere is a high probability that the doctors didnrsquot want to join JJ and thus chose to go on leaverdquo The RTI response also mentions two other doctors who were transferred from JJ to other hospitals who have been on leave since Dr R S Haridas professor at psychiatry and Dr Tirupama Patil professor radiology Dr Haridas was transferred to Government Medical College Aurangabad and Patil to Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Medical College Ambajogai While Haridas was transferred from the hospital on July 2 2011 Patil was asked to join the medical college of Ambejogai on May 4 2009While the monthly salary for the posts mentioned starts at Rs 35000 and could extend to Rs 75000 this amount is much smaller compared to what private facilities pay However the doctors who went on leave have not been receiving salaries all these years Within the state medical circles a suspension is as good as being fired The doctor will not be allowed to work in public hospitals however their medical license is not cancelled and they remain free for private practiceOn why itrsquos taken the state this long to move for suspension a senior professor from JJ Hospital said that the procedure is an extensively long process which is why the seats have remained vacant at JJ ldquoWhen a doctor who has a designation of professor assistant professor or associate professor terminating them from office isnrsquot an easy task They are sent repeated reminders Itrsquos after several reminders go unheeded that a DE finalises their suspensionrdquo said the doctorDr Sagar Mundada president of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors MARD said that the blockage of seats and delay of the state medical education department is a bane for the resident doctors across the state ldquoProfessors assistant professors and associate professors are the doctors with an experience of more than 1520 years Itrsquos unfortunate that doctors who are experienced are behaving in a way that affects students who are deprived of teachers and patients who are deprived of experienced clinicians Also if these people block posts how will new doctors get jobs and promotions Authorities should have taken these steps long backrdquo said Mundada