Child PGI to get 40 doctors, neuro dept to resume ops after 4 mths

Noida: After a long wait, Child PGI has finalised the induction of 40 doctors across departments. The hospital's genetics and neurology departments have had no doctors since Oct 2023, with the follow-up treatment of nearly 3,000 patients affected. Many other departments have been ailing due to a shortage of doctors. Hospital officials said four doctors have already joined, and the rest are likely to join between Feb and March in various departments, including genetics, neurology, nephrology, cardiology, ophthalmology, transfusion medicine, orthopaedic and non-communicable diseases.According to the hospital administration, the contracts of 12 doctors ended in Oct 2023 after a two-year service term. The genetics and neurology departments had only one doctor, whose contracts ended that month. The departments had to shut their doors even as 3,000 patients waited for follow-up treatment. After a month or more, the hospital made an ad hoc arrangement with the doctor who had left the genetics department, and he started seeing patients once a week. However, the limited availability of doctors continued to impact the treatment of many regular patients, some of whom visit the hospital from western UP districts. Apart from bringing relief to these departments, the newly inducted doctors will also be available for teleconsultation, dentistry and critical care. But hospital officials said several doctors are still serving their notice period at other hospitals and will take at least a month to join. Patients from various parts of the country visit Child PGI to get specialised medical treatment for rare and complex illnesses. Started in December 2021 with fewer than 10 patients, the genetics department now treats over 1,600 patients with rare diseases like beta-thalassemia, spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, inborn errors of metabolism, paediatric neurological disorders, etc. For the treatment of these diseases, Child PGI also arranges for expensive medicines that are otherwise out of reach for many families from countries such as the USA, etc. The hospital has also started tests for influenza, bird flu and swine flu, among other infections. Earlier, government facilities in the city sent samples to Delhi, and the results would take a week at least. Now, they can get the results from Child PGI within two days. Last year, the hospital also established a BSL-3 lab to study infectious agents or toxins.