Nautiyal opposes upgrading Doon hospital as medical college

Dehradun, Aug 26 (PTI) Drawing the Centre’s attention to"poor" medical infrastructure in Uttarakhand, former AAPleader Anoop Nautiyal today opposed upgradation of the city’spremier Doon hospital to a medical college without makingprovisions for an alternative district hospital. In a letter to Health Minister J P Nadda, Nautiyal saidthe government healthcare infrastructure of the state hascollapsed. He said many hospitals do not have dengue kitsdespite a spike in the number of dengue patients. "Medicines are unavailable on a regular basis. Fourpersons recently lost their eyesight due to infection in theOT theatre. There was water shortage for a long time. "Machines are broken and not repaired since AnnualMaintenance Contracts (AMCs) have not been renewed. There havebeen reports that Thalassemia patients are not gettingadmitted in the state’s hospitals due to lack of beds,medicines and clean water. Stocks of hemophilia injections arealso over," he alleged. Patients are not getting admitted in the Doon Hospitalas its upgradation to a medical college was done hurriedly andwithout providing corresponding infrastructure. Theconstruction of new blocks at the hospital has led toreduction in the number of beds, Nautiyal said, adding healthfacility in the hills is worse than Dehradun or other citiesin plain areas. Disputing the MCI’s approval to convert the Doon Hospitalinto a medical college whose inauguration is due tomorrow, theformer AAP leader who unsuccessfully contested the last LokSabha polls from Tehri, said there was no district hospital inDehradun and the poor and the needy were suffering the most. "The state government has made a new administrative blockfor the upcoming medical college but does not have a hospitalfor the students. The government has therefore decided toconvert and use the biggest district hospital of the state asa medical college. "This is a health care catastrophe affecting thousands ofdisadvantaged and needy people," Nautiyal said. "Since Doon Hospital has become Doon Medical College,where is the district hospital? Coronation Hospital andPremnagar Hospital in Dehradun have only 60 and 40 bedsrespectively," he said. "I am aware that health is a state subject but theintervention of Central authorities and MCI is critical atthis juncture," Kautiyal added.  PTI ALM SRY SMNSRY