Health services at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) are on the brink of collapse because of an abysmal number of vacancies against the sanctioned number of doctors’ posts.

Seventy posts of doctors are vacant against the sanctioned strength of 110 at the hospital.

The assignments of the doctors, presently posted at SKMCH, have increased manifold, burdening them with work. The situation has turned so serious that the doctors are mulling over quitting, with the state government allegedly turning a blind eye towards filling up the vacant posts of doctors at the medical college.

The number of patients has swelled over the past several months and the already overburdened doctors are weighed down with the hospital tasks.

On August 24, the SKMCH doctors expressed displeasure over the increased number of duty hours and requested the inspecting team of Medical Council of India (MCI) to do something tangible to lessen their burden.

The MCI officials were stunned to see 70 posts of doctors vacant. The MCI team praised the present doctors for treating around 1,800 patients registered daily in the outdoor patient department (OPD) of SKMCH.

A group of doctors headed by Asmita Singh, the senior resident of gynaecology department of SKMCH, met hospital superintendent G.K. Thakur and gave an ultimatum.

Dr Singh resigned from the post and sent its photocopy to the principal secretary of the health department for necessary action.

Dr Singh, in her resignation letter, mentioned that the additional hospital duties were increasing daily and she was helpless not to work extra hours apart from the assigned duty.

Confirming receipt of Dr Singh’s resignation, superintendent Thakur described it as unfortunate. A month ago, Dr Arun Kumar Singh, a senior resident of orthopaedic department, also quit owing to increased tasks at the hospital.

Dr Thakur said: “Doctors here are extremely overloaded because of the surge of patients from the adjoining districts of north Bihar. During their interaction, MCI inspectors — Dr Bal Krishna, Dr Arun Bhattacharya and Dr Sheela Mahapatra — persuaded doctors to discharge their duties well but assured them respite from hard work.”

The SKMCH superintendent has sent an SOS to the state government, describing how the doctors have refused to attend to patients after the scheduled hours of duty.

Dr Thakur said he was leaving no stone unturned in delivering health services despite the crisis of doctors.

Dr Thakur made it clear that if things worsened further, he would request the principal secretary to close down a few of the health services for want of doctors.