Jalandhar: Rural medical services not in pink of health

Even as the AAP government is focused on improving the health infrastructure across the state, the harsh reality is there’s a severe shortage of staff at government medical centres.

In Jalandhar alone, especially in rural areas, only 73 medical officers are available against the sanctioned 133 posts. The shortage of doctors is affecting the work in the community health centres (CHC) in rural areas. For instance, at CHC, Shahkot, there is a requirement of eight medical officers, but not even one is present.

At CHC, Bilga, there is one medical officer when the requirement is of seven. Against the six sanctioned posts at CHC, Lohian, there is just one. At Bara Pind, there are five medical officers against the 10 sanctioned posts. In Sub-Divisional Hospital, Nakodar, only nine are present when the sanctioned posts are 15. At SDH, Phillaur, six medical officers are there against the sanctioned posts of 17. The shortage is putting pressure on the existing staff in the Health Department, with most medical officers’ serving several CHCs on deputation. Also, emergency services and OPDs are getting adversely affected due to prevailing situation.

Besides medical officers, there is inadequate strength of specialists, especially gynaecologists, too. There is 60 per cent shortage of staff nurses, impacting the postpartum care. The burden and workload is so high in the Civil Hospital that gynaecologists from the CHCs are called in for three days. Doctors say if there is an availability of the gynaecologists in the CHCs, they would at least identify high-risk pregnancies in advance and guide the expecting mothers in future.

Last year, a total of 32,000 deliveries happened in private and government hospitals, of which more than 8,000 took place in the Civil Hospital. The figures clearly suggest the burden on gynaecologists present in the district. India Tribune