With the lone radiologist of Doon Hospital going on a ten-day leave from June 5, the patients visiting the department for various diagnostic tests are bound to suffer. The Radiology Department of the biggest hospital of the State provides the services of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computer Assisted Tomography (CAT), Ultrasound, X-Ray, digital X-Ray, mammography and bone marrow densitometry. After the recent reshuffling of radiologists, Dr Yatindra Singh remained the only specialist in the department.
The Medical Health and Family Welfare Department attached Dr SK Srivastava from Mussoorie to assist Dr Singh in Doon Hospital for three days a week. Dr Srivastava was attached for remaining three days at Coronation hospital. Now with Dr Yatindra Singh on leave, the hospital would be bereft of services of radiologist on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
When contacted the Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of Doon Hospital Dr RS Aswal told The Pioneer that Dr Srivastava would render his services on all six days a week at Doon hospital during the absence of Dr Yatindra Singh. He said the patients visiting the coronation hospitals would have to come to Doon hospital for any radiology related tests during this period.
The radiologists are much in demand across the Government hospitals of the State as only 28 of them are serving in State Health services. The Doon hospital has been suffering from acute shortage of radiologists. The hospital data suggests that the Radiology department of the hospital does about 150-200 X rays, 100-150 Ultra Sounds, 45 CT scans and 25-30 MRI daily apart from some bone marrow densitometry and mammography tests .The hospital authorities insist that considering huge load of patients the department should have at least four radiologists.