The predicament of a resident doctor at Sir JJ Hospital, who is suffering from tuberculosis has turned the spotlight on the plight of these student doctors who form the backbone of medical services at major civic and state run hospitals.
The predicament of a resident doctor at Sir JJ Hospital, who is suffering from tuberculosis has turned the spotlight on the plight of these student doctors who form the backbone of medical services at major civic and state run hospitals.
These doctors have no government medical insurance to cover their treatment and the medical department has no separate funds to treat them if they fall ill. In some desperate cases, hospitals have been using money from the medical aid for poor patients to treat these doctors.
The Sir JJ Hospital doctor is a post graduation at the medical college attached to the hospital needs a second and advanced line of treatment that will cost Rs22,500 every month for the next six months. But his meagre salary of around Rs 25,000 won’t cover his bills.
Currently at Sir JJ hospital, 6 resident doctors are suffering from TB. A doctor suffering from Hepatitis B needs Rs40,000 and another resident doctor who suffered a needle prick injury will need anti-HIV treatment.
On humanitarian grounds, the hospitals are treating the doctors using money from the poor patient’s fund. But this cannot be done officially and medical authorities have suggested that the doctors pay half the money for treatment.
Pankaj Nalawade, secretary of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, said, “They contract the disease because they are the first to attend to the patients. Hence, the medical authorities should bear the cost and the government should make provisions in the budget for their treatment” said Nalawade.
Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM Hospital said, “It is true that we do not have a specific policy to treat resident doctors. They need to be covered by some scheme or insurance.”
Resident doctors have now demanded that they should be covered by a medical insurance scheme.Dr T P Lahane, dean at Sir JJ hospital said, “We have already corresponded with the medical education authority and have asked them to create a scheme to treat these doctors.”
Dr WB Tayde, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research said they are looking at a plan to treat reident doctors who fall ill while at work. “We will come up with a policy soon,” he said.
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