Protest: Doctors vent reported closure of department
Accuse hospital admin of putting their careers at stake.
The TMOs were also joined by junior doctors who boycotted duties at the Out Patient Department and ward duties but offered emergency coverage to the patients. PHOTO: FILE
ABBOTABAD:
The trainee medical officers (TMOs) at the gastroenteritis department at Ayub Medical Complex (AMC) staged protest over the reported decision to close the department on Friday.
They accused the hospital administration of putting their careers at stake.
On the other hand, the administration denied the claim, terming it a blackmail tactic by the former head of department. The TMOs suspended duties and took out a procession over what they called the proposed closing of gastro ward of the AMC by the administration.
TMOs Association General Secretary Dr Khalid said the department was established as a speciality about 25 years back and 30 TMOs were enrolled as trainees.
However, he added, following the retirement of Prof Dr Alamzeb Manan, former advisor of the department, the management council of AMC has declined to rehire the retired professor. Instead, he said the authorities decided to close the ward down.
He told that the 30-bed unit has 15 beds for patients of Hepatitis and 15 for gastro patients where the tertiary level treatment is provided to the patients and 30 TMOs are also provided training as part of their specialisation. While the outdoor patient coverage ranges between 120 to 140 daily, he claimed.
He told the sitting batch of 30 TMOs was trained for over three years and their total specialisation duration was five years. He told that three months back, the matter was sent to the management council of the AMC that has rejected the rehiring request of Dr Manan and instead decided to close the department down.
Dr Khalid claimed that closure of the department would not only put their career at stake but also deprive the people of this region from the tertiary services of gastro and Hepatitis.
The TMOs were also joined by junior doctors who boycotted duties at the Out Patient Department and ward duties but offered emergency coverage to the patients. The AMC has over 1,200 OPD daily, sources said.
A senior doctor, requesting anonymity, said there was no plan of closing down the department.
He added that following Dr Manan’s retirement, the management council of AMC has rejected his request for rehiring as he has been retired after serving the same department for 21 years.
He told that there were over 10 to 12 senior professors already serving the same department would head it during the next three months as the election commission has banned the fresh appointments and it was not possible for the chief executive to hire a grade-21 professor without the approval of management council.
The source rejected the notion that the absence of supervisor would affect the training of TMOs adding that the Postgraduate Medical Institute Peshawar could send these trainees to other hospitals of Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi where they could complete their training.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2013.
The trainee medical officers (TMOs) at the gastroenteritis department at Ayub Medical Complex (AMC) staged protest over the reported decision to close the department on Friday.
They accused the hospital administration of putting their careers at stake.
On the other hand, the administration denied the claim, terming it a blackmail tactic by the former head of department. The TMOs suspended duties and took out a procession over what they called the proposed closing of gastro ward of the AMC by the administration.
TMOs Association General Secretary Dr Khalid said the department was established as a speciality about 25 years back and 30 TMOs were enrolled as trainees.
However, he added, following the retirement of Prof Dr Alamzeb Manan, former advisor of the department, the management council of AMC has declined to rehire the retired professor. Instead, he said the authorities decided to close the ward down.
He told that the 30-bed unit has 15 beds for patients of Hepatitis and 15 for gastro patients where the tertiary level treatment is provided to the patients and 30 TMOs are also provided training as part of their specialisation. While the outdoor patient coverage ranges between 120 to 140 daily, he claimed.
He told the sitting batch of 30 TMOs was trained for over three years and their total specialisation duration was five years. He told that three months back, the matter was sent to the management council of the AMC that has rejected the rehiring request of Dr Manan and instead decided to close the department down.
Dr Khalid claimed that closure of the department would not only put their career at stake but also deprive the people of this region from the tertiary services of gastro and Hepatitis.
The TMOs were also joined by junior doctors who boycotted duties at the Out Patient Department and ward duties but offered emergency coverage to the patients. The AMC has over 1,200 OPD daily, sources said.
A senior doctor, requesting anonymity, said there was no plan of closing down the department.
He added that following Dr Manan’s retirement, the management council of AMC has rejected his request for rehiring as he has been retired after serving the same department for 21 years.
He told that there were over 10 to 12 senior professors already serving the same department would head it during the next three months as the election commission has banned the fresh appointments and it was not possible for the chief executive to hire a grade-21 professor without the approval of management council.
The source rejected the notion that the absence of supervisor would affect the training of TMOs adding that the Postgraduate Medical Institute Peshawar could send these trainees to other hospitals of Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi where they could complete their training.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2013.