Odisha struggling with shortage of doctors
The national average of doctor-population ratio stands at 1: 811 while the World Health Organization's prescribed norm specifies the posting of one doctor for 1,000 people.
Irked by long duty hours, often stretching to almost 36 hours and no proper rest room, junior resident doctors of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) have demanded suitable working environment.
IGMC Resident Doctors Association (RDA) president Ajay Jaryal said, “In the wake of the paucity of doctors the junior resident doctors are forced to work for 36 hours together with only two hours break. There are 6 junior residents on duty to cater to the emergency services in the hospital at a time that include both male and female. In the absence of designated restroom they are forced to take rest on the benches during two hours rest time.”
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He said that they had apprised the IGMC Principal and the hospital administration since last six months, however, to no avail the condition continues to be the same. Almost a year ago, the junior doctors had even urged the state government to take stock of the working condition of the resident doctors and to fix the duty hours, as they forced to work beyond 36 hours at a stretch.
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They had also submitted a memorandum of demands to the state government to take cognizance of their demands and to improve the working environment of the resident doctors.
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