The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Specialists threaten to resign en masse

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 02, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Specialists threaten to resign en masse

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Opposing the State Health Department's move to transfer 461 specialist doctors, members of the recently formed Karnataka Government Specialist Doctors' Association (KGSDA) have threatened to resign en masse.

Following a High Court order to equally distribute specialists across the State, the Health Department issued a notification on April 6 to relocate thedoctors.

KGSDA president M. Thimmappa, who is also the Bangalore Urban District Health Officer (DHO) told The Hindu that the association was not against the transfers but against the process that was followed for the transfers.

He said that the doctors had been divided into surgical and medical categories. While the surgical team comprised ENT, orthopaedic and general surgery, the medical team consists of general medicine, paediatrics and dermatology, he said.

‘Unscientific'

Terming the transfers as “unscientific, irrational and arbitrary”, Dr. Thimmappa said: “In some cases, the officials have posted a specialist to the general duty doctor's post and vice-versa. This will create problems in areas where these specialists were earlier serving, as patients there will have to manage without their services.”

The KGSDA has taken up the issue with the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal and the High Court to stop the doctors' relocation.

Staff shortage

State health officials said the department was short of more than 700 specialists. “The transfers are aimed at providing better healthcare across the State. We have posted the doctors in hospitals that have neither doctors nor specialists,” a senior official said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka