EC's poll duty move leaves doctors gasping

HYDERABAD: In a decision defying rules and logic, about 450 doctors from various state-run hospitals have been posted as polling officers for the upcoming elections by the state election commission (SEC).
Ironically, even some superintendents have not been spared, which would mean the already short-staffed hospitals won't have enough doctors to treat thousands of patients who pour into these facilities during polling and counting days.
In one instance, a total of 236 staffers of Gandhi Hospital, of which 175 are doctors, have been deployed for poll duties. All put together, the hospital has just 282 doctors on rolls.
Miffed doctors and heads of many tertiary care hospitals have raised the issue with the principal secretary (health) LV Subramaniam, who has promised to take it up with the election commission.
Angry doctors said the deployment flouts a 2012 order that exempts doctors from election duties.
"Looks like for the first time in history, we will have to close down hospitals as doctors would be busy establishing identity of voters and counting votes rather than treating critical patients," quipped a senior doctor.
As much as 75% of doctors have been assigned poll duty as polling officers in the state.
At Gandhi Hospital, that gets nearly 2,000 patients on a daily basis, superintendent Dr M Chandrasekhar was shocked when he heard that his name too was on poll duty list. So is the case with the superintendent of Fever Hospital, Dr K Shankar.
According to Dr Chandrasekhar, doctors have been posted across various city constituencies and assembly segments.
"This is the first time such an order has been given. It will be difficult for us as we are into emergency services. If almost 75% of the doctors are not there, what will happen to patients," asked Dr Chandrasekhar.
"We have raised the issue with the state health department. Officials will hopefully take steps to remedy the situation," he added.
From Niloufer Hospital, which is the tertiary care hospital for women and children, more than 50% of the doctors have been assigned poll duties.
"Who will look after patients? If one doctor goes on leave, we suffer so much as we are catering to double the patient load than we are equipped to handle," said a senior doctor.
The situation is no different at Fever Hospital that is currently swarming with patients of food poisoning and fever. Of the 20 doctors at the hospital, 11 have been asked to report for election duty.
"We have lot of epidemic cases, including food poisoning cases, coming in. It is difficult to run the show with only nine doctors," said Dr Shankar, the superintendent.
Doctors said that any person involved in the election work knows that medical practitioners are exempted. "How can they violate it? No where it is done in India as there are clear cut guidelines," one doctor said.