Doctors' stir: West Bengal health dept seeks data on medicos resuming work after September 9 Supreme Court order

KOLKATA: The state health department on Thursday asked principals of all medical colleges to send the number of junior doctors who have resumed duty after the Sept 9 Supreme Court order. Though the directive from the director of medical education (DME) sought the report by afternoon, many were still compiling the data till late at night.

Once the directive came to the medical colleges, the principals had instructed all department heads to compile the number. Many said they could not complete the compilation as the letter reached them late.

Their dilemma, however, was submitting the number as they said many junior doctors are not signing their duty registers as they are working 'unofficially'.

"We have sent a list of zero attendees as none is working officially. But we have added a note mentioning that many are working unofficially," said an official at College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Medical College.

The directive from the health department has a proforma of an excel sheet where hospitals are asked to enter the numbers separately for senior residents, junior residents (with sub section for junior residents who are trainee reserves, studying on a state quota), house staffs and interns.

"There are around 150 PGTs who are trainee reserves and are bound to work by service rules. We sent this number to the health department. For junior doctors, while many are voluntarily working despite the cease-work, we could not enter the number as none is signing the register," said an official at IPGMER.

In all medical colleges, the combined number of PGTs, PDTs, house staffs and interns are four-five times higher than the number of faculties. "In many departments, our junior doctors are helping even in the ward. But we cannot not include such numbers on the list. Our department heads are still compiling the number and we should be able to send the number by Friday," said an official of Medical College Hospital, Kolkata. The department heads were compiling the list till late into the night at NRS Medical College as well.

"In our hospital, many junior doctors are attending duty unofficially. Few departments are yet to submit the numbers. Hopefully, they should be able to complete it by tonight," said an administrator at NRS Medical College.

Altogether, around 7,500 junior doctors are officially on cease-work. Even as most are staying away from OPD, hospital sources said many are working in the wards.

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