Signature Campaign to Restore Pediatric Surgery in Ram Manohar Lohial Hospital

Pediatric surgery is the field of medicine that deals with the newborn babies, infants, and children to the age of 18 years with Congenital Defects and other Surgical Care. This branch is highly specialized, not only because one has to handle very delicate and miniature tissues, but also it requires a great deal of patience, compassion and understanding to handle the little babies and their very anxious parents.

The Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMLH), one of country's premier health care organizations is financed directly by the central government and caters to the thousands of public servants and senior government officers, including members of Parliament. But its high standards are also a magnet for sick people for hundreds of miles around.

We came to know that The RML does not have an operational department of paediatric surgery since April 2007 because all doctors are on holidays.

Shockingly, the only paediatric surgeon was granted a six-month extra ordinary leave, and that too immediately after her joining in March this year. Even, the HoD of paediatric surgery has been on leave since August 2006 for pursuing a degree in archeology ( as reported in daily news paper ) .

According to the medical superintendent of RML ( as per news report ) it is under the ministry of health and family welfare's authority to take decisions on the appointment and sanctioning of leave of the medical staff of the hospital. His job is only to forward the application to the ministry.

Well, if that is the case, then one can't help wondering as to why did the Medical Supritendent in the first place, moved the leave requests to the ministry for approval without first arranging for replacements. Also, how come the ministry sanctioned the leaves of the two specialists when there was no other paediatric surgeon in the hospital?

With the support of thousands of  citizens who care for the new born with congenital defects in the form of their signatures, we look forward to impressing the policy makers and the government for immediate action to start medical facilities related to Pediatric Surgery in the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital with full strength of pediatric surgeons .

We handed over our petition with 50 sheets containing signatures on 31th July 2008 to the office of Union Health Minister along with copy to Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and Chief Minister of  Delhi.

 

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