TEZPUR, Sept 5 - The much-cherished Tezpur Medical College and Hospital has failed to meet the required healthcare services of the patients due to the alleged negligence of a section of physicians towards their duties as also due the shortage in their numbers.
Allegations frequently received from the patients coming from far-flung areas paint a very negative picture of the medical college and hospital, though the authority claims of providing adequate healthcare services to the patients. Describing his bitter experience of inadequate treatment by the incompetent physicians in the Orthopaedic Department of the medical college, a patient who recently approached the department with a case of hand fracture alleged that because of insincere handling of the issue, her hand is yet to be healed.
According to people, the medical college and hospital established in 2013 under the State Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam was the earliest effort made by the State Government to promote healthcare services and medical education in the State. Although the Government�s aim was genuine and ambitious, the move has not been able to meet the need of the people in the true sense.
Interestingly, there are altogether 22 departments in the Medical College and Hospital viz., Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine, Toxicology, Community Medicine, General Medicine, Paediatrics, Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases, Dermatology, Psychiatry, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Anaesthesiology, Radio diagnosis and Dentistry. However, due to shortage of physicians, most of the departments are not being able to provide proper treatment to the patients.
On the other hand, the people here alleged that issues like interference of middlemen in every case for earning a few extra pennies,physicians remaining busy in their private chambers most of the time neglecting their duties and running of unlicensed pharmacies near the Medical College and Hospital campus have created an awkward situation maligning the image of the medical college. �We urge the Health Minister of the State to intervene in the matter in the greater interest of the medical college so that people can avail better healthcare services in the days to come,� they said.
Meanwhile, expressing concern over certain constraints faced by the medical college since its inception, Asstt Professor, Orthopaedic department of the Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sarfarush Iman revealed that three new medical colleges viz., the Tezpur Medical College, Jorhat Medical College and the Barpeta Medical College have started functioning, these have failed to meet the expectations of the people because of insufficient appointment of doctors. �The Government is going to set up national-level medical institutions like the AIIMS and a few more medical colleges in the State. These are very welcome steps taken, but if the basic issues related to the proposed institutions, like availability of doctors and proper infrastructure etc., are not met, it will be nothing but disaster.�
He maintained and added that his department also cannot provide the required services to the patients due to shortage of physicians.
