Deputy Chief Minister T. Rajaiah chose the diamond jubilee celebrations of Gandhi Medical College (GMC) to remind government doctors of their responsibility towards patients.
“Your representatives have given me a slew of demands today. But none of you have spoken about your responsibility towards poor patients who come to you with a lot of expectation. It’s as if the doctors here are more bothered about facilities, and less about the welfare of patients,” Dr. Rajaiah said here on Sunday.
The Minister also criticised junior doctors over their reservations over rural service.
“I don’t understand why you don’t want to go to villages and work as part of the rural service for a year. Why don’t you see it (rural service) as an opportunity to get first-hand exposure to the realities of medical care in villages? There is a lot of work in terms of spreading awareness among the illiterate. Why can’t you do that?” he asked.
He called upon government doctors to be more humane towards patients.
“Don’t send them away just because they have come late and your time is running out. Be humane and understand them (patients). If your duty starts at 9 a.m., then you are supposed to report for duty at that time. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., you should be at government hospitals treating patients,” Dr. Rajaiah said.
The Deputy CM did not mince words about commercialisation of the health care sector.
“Doctors always prescribe a test or a drug that is not available in a government hospital…too much importance is being given to tertiary care. Nobody is bothered about primary healthcare,” he rued.
Also the Health Minister, Dr. Rajaiah said a lot of responsibility lay on government doctors.
“It’s your responsibility to become an asset and not a liability in the newly formed State of Telangana,” he said, while assuring them of all possible help from the government regarding their demands.
Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy Rajya Sabha MP K. Keshava Rao, Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya, alumni and students of Gandhi Hospital were present.
