Infant bears brunt of ‘doctor crisis’ at PMCH

PATNA: Attendants of an infant requiring surgical intervention on Wednesday alleged that the child was referred to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) from

Patna Medical College and Hospital

(

PMCH

) due to unavailability of paediatric surgeon.

The infant, who was born with an anorectal malformation or perforated anus, had been brought to PMCH from Bhagalpur on Wednesday. “After running from one end of the hospital to another for three hours, we were asked to take the child to IGIMS as there was no paediatric surgeon at the hospital,”

Nandan Kumar

, the father of the infant, said.

President of PMCH Junior Doctors’ Association Dr Vinay Kumar admitted that no resident or junior doctor is posted in the paediatric surgery department.

According to sources, there are only two paediatric surgeons at PMCH and one of them is appointed on contract basis. These doctors perform surgeries only thrice a week from 9am to 1pm.