Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Apr 12: The exodus of doctors and nurses during the simultaneous polling forced scores of patients to run around for medical aid as both government and private hospitals were without medical officers, nurses and lab technicians in the past three days.
Doctors and nurses of RK Mission Hospital (RKMH) and Heema Hospital here, and the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun were also away.
Patients who had been referred from the district hospitals in emergency had to wait for the doctors’ return. Adding to the situation, private clinics and pathology centres were also out of staff, preventing several patients from getting their test reports on time.
“My father met with an accident in the village. I have been looking for orthopaedic doctors as he needs immediate medical attention, but I cannot find anyone around,” said Solung Singhi, who had brought his injured father from East Kameng district.
“Most of the doctors and nurses have gone away to vote at their villages, so only a few are left to attend to the patients,” said a medical officer at RKMH who was on emergency duty.
“We are advising patients to go to the TRIHMS as we don’t have staff and medical officers,” the emergency medical officer said.
However, the RKMH authority claimed that some doctors were stationed at the hospital to attend to emergency patients.
“We do have doctors but don’t have full strength as many doctors have decided to exercise their adult franchise at their respective polling stations,” RKMH secretary Swami Vishweshananda said.
“It is only for two days, and many patients have also gone to vote. Tomorrow (Saturday), all the doctors and staff are expected to be back in station,” he added.
