‘Pressurised’ Rims docs threaten voluntary retirement

Ranchi: Around two dozen senior doctors of the state-run super speciality hospital, Rajendra Institute of medical sciences (Rims), are contemplating to opt for voluntary retirement, alleging harassment from the hospital management and the state government. A senior doctor of medicine unit, Sanjay Kumar, has recently put in his papers, citing personal issues. Sources said many more doctors are in the line to follow suit.
On Monday, state health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi visited the hospital to take stock of the situation and held a closed-door meeting with Rims authorities. Sources said the discontent among senior Rims doctors was brewing since a professor of the medicine department, Umesh Prasad, was removed from duty after allegations of forcing a Ayushman patient’s kin to buy medicines from a private shop surfaced against him.
What further aggravated them was chief minister Raghubar Das’s announcement on June 25 to initiate inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) against government doctors to find out if they were doing private practice.
Following CM’s announcement, Rims director D K Singh shot off a letter recently warning all doctors to refrain from private practice. A senior doctor of the dermatology department and member of the Rims Teachers’ Association said, “The hospital management now wants us to do perform duties which are supposed to be looked after by them. They want us to take care of cleanliness, maintenance of equipment along with diagnosis and academic duties which we do. I am really confused about my duties nowadays as I do not know whether I should look after a patient, maintain cleanliness of wards or look after equipment as I am going to be held responsible for all of it.”
Another doctor said, “We are government servants and bound to follow government orders, but where are we supposed to go if the government isn’t ready to listen to our woes. We only receive a meagre Rs 25,000 as non-practicing allowance. We want this to be hiked to 20% of our basic salary. Otherwise, doctors will continue with private practice.”
A doctor of surgery department added, “I am in touch with several senior doctors from various departments who are considering leaving the hospital and are busy doing the final paper work for resignation as after 30 years of service, if we are meted this treatment, we will have to look for options and the best option till now seems to be resignation.”
Health minister Chandravanshi however said he has sorted the issue. “No doctor will resign from Rims. I have told them that government isn’t putting any pressure on them. All we are asking is to follow rules,” he said.