Jaipur: The state govt has reassigned over 180 specialist doctors from patient care to verify educational certificates and documents of 8,200 newly selected nurses and paramedical staff.On Thursday, 135 senior specialists from SMS Medical College — including anaesthetists, surgeons, gynaecologists, orthopaedicians, paediatricians, psychiatrists, radiotherapists and super-specialists in transfusion medicine, tropical medicine and palliative care — were ordered to report to the Paramedical Institute in Raja Park for clerical verification work. Another 51 specialists have been rostered from Friday onwards. The exercise will continue till Dec 6.The redeployment of doctors, who are meant to take care of critical cases in operation theatres, ICUs, emergency wards and super-speciality clinics, is likely to lead to cancelled elective surgeries and longer waiting time for patients.A senior medical education department official, however, defended the decision. He said recent incidents of fake documents in govt services made keener verification “a necessary exercise.”“We are all part of the govt and it is govt work. We have to do it collectively. The healthcare services will not be affected as we have selected them from different departments and places,” he said.Typically, administrative officers, clerks or junior staff are tasked with the job of verifying documents for appointments. In their place, doctors, earning ₹80,000–₹1.5 lakh per month and trained for years in life-saving skills, will now verify mark-sheets and caste certificates.An SMS faculty member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The hospital is short of specialists even on normal days. Pulling five anaesthetists alone for paperwork can paralyse half the operation theatres on any given day.” The order issued by the medical education department warns that the task is of “extremely important and essential nature” and any negligence would invite disciplinary action.
