The Punjab health department on Tuesday issued new guidelines regarding the deployment of specialist doctors during VIP and VVIP visits.
As per the guidelines, accessed by HT, the specialist doctors will be deployed only for the visits of the Punjab governor, chief minister and the deputy chief minister.
The department has also curtailed the number of specialists assigned for such duties, reducing the strength from the existing five to just two.
Until now, the Punjab government had not formally defined a list of VIPs eligible for specialist medical cover. As a result, specialists were often deputed for the visits of ministers, chief ministers of other states, and even for programmes involving ruling party functionaries.
The new guidelines have come amid mounting complaints by the medical staff over the growing burden of VIP duties.
As per the orders, either one specialist from the medicine or anaesthesia will be deputed. “Similarly, only one from either MS Surgery or MS Orthopaedics will be deployed during the governor’s or chief minister’s visits,” the order further said.
Besides, under the revised policy, medical specialists will no longer be deployed at protest sites, national or state-level sports events, or cultural programmes. Instead, the department has directed that rural medical officers (RMOs), along with paramedical staff, should be assigned duties at protest sites, sports events, fairs and cultural festivals.
The move comes close on the heels of criticism over instances such as the recent deployment of medical officers on night duty at city roundabouts in Amritsar on New Year’s Eve, a decision that had drawn sharp reactions from doctors.
The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) welcomed the new orders. Dr Akhi Sarin, state president of PCMSA, said, “The rationalisation will ensure better availability of specialist doctors for patients visiting hospital OPDs and facilitate smoother access to specialised healthcare services, particularly for the poor and underprivileged sections of society.”