State of Doctors: Reality Check of Gorakhpur Hospital Conditions
The doctor-patient ratio in the country is 1:1000, as per the WHO. This ratio is much worse in some states.
Recent incidents point to the fact that, across India, the relationship between doctors and patients is worsening.
On 10 June, in Kolkata’s NRS Hospital, soon after a patient died, his relatives allegedly attacked some junior doctors. After this, West Bengal witnessed many protests which inturn triggered protests across India. Several doctors boycotted work while they demanded for better security for themselves in hospitals.
This is the same hospital, where in 2017, hundreds of children died due to an alleged lack of oxygen.
The ‘Crisis’ in Uttar Pradesh
Particularly looking at Uttar Pradesh, which is the most populous state in India, it has one of the worst doctor-patient ratios in the country. In fact, a recent report by NITI Aayog pointed out that UP is the worst-performing state on the basis of health indicators.
A junior doctor at the hospital, Dr Ashutosh, explained the stressful condition under which doctors work:
Doctors Pressing for Security
Violence against doctors isn’t limited to Kolkata. In fact, in recent years, UP has witnessed many such incidents as well:
- September, 2018 : SN Medical College, Agra
- September 2018 : BHU, Varanasi
- October, 2017 : Medical College, Jalaun
- August 2018 : Kanpur Medical College, Kanpur
What’s the state of doctors in other parts of the country? Find out in our series:
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