Government doctors serving in Chittoor district are not particularly enthused over the forthcoming National Doctors’ Day, which is celebrated on July 1 across the country.
Doctors fret that the occasion, meant to recognise the contributions of the medical fraternity to society, has been reduced to a gesture of tokenism.
The occasion was observed in a perfunctory manner in the last two years under the grim shadow of the pandemic. Chittoor district bore the brunt of COVID-19, accounting for nearly 2,000 casualties — the highest in the State.
Many doctors working at primary health centres, urban health centres, referral centres and district headquarters hospitals rued that while National Doctors’ Day would be celebrated in a grand manner by their colleagues working at private hospitals., it would be a dull affair for those in the government sector as ‘there is none to care for us’.
“The COVID-19 pandemic showed everyone what it means to be a government doctor. We were on COVID duty for two years, attached to 34 COVID Care Centres, district hospitals and COVID-19 State hospitals in Tirupati, Chittoor and Madanapalle. We were at the forefront to extend our services when care centres came up in the distict, creating facilities for over 10,000 patients. The dearth of beds and medicines was not felt in the district. We played a crucial role in raising donations for essential equipment at PHCs such as thermal guns, ventilators, N-95 masks, and COVID medicine kits with the help of philanthropists and NRIs,” said Dr. P. Ravi Raju, secretary of the Chittoor unit of the Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors’ Association (APGDA).
The official said that the APGDA, in association with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), undertook a series of awareness camps on the COVID-19 pandemic right from the onset of the pandemic and even during the lockdown that was enforced from March 2020.
“Considering the stress on the doctors and the dedication that they displayed, the administration could come out with a pleasant reciprocation of conducting the National Doctors’ Day by honouring the medical officers who have delivered a commendable performance. “This will help in taking the government medical sector to greater heights, helping it to compete and even surpass corporate standards,” he said.
Dr. M. Sireesha, a medical officer serving at a PHC in Bangarupalem mandal, said that several doctors with PG qualifications working in the government health sector were taken on an outsourcing basis. “The public thinks we are drawing huge salaries. But a doctor on outsourcing gets paid only ₹50,000 per month. The COVID-19 pandemic helped us rededicate ourselves to safeguarding public health. But many families of doctors struggle to make ends meet. While we wear a white coat, there is a lot of misery underneath,” said Dr. Sireesha, adding that National Doctors’ Day should be observed in a manner that lifts their morale instead of being a mere symbolic gesture.
