Shortage of doctors hits health services at CHC, Ahmedgarh

A staff crunch and shortage of doctors at the Ahmedgarh Community Health Centre (CHC) has been affecting the delivery of services at the health facility. The CHC caters to the residents of the local town and 40 surrounding villages, who are dependent on it for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The frequent transfers of doctors is also a reason behind the predicament of the lone government healthcare centre of the town.

Even as Amargarh MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra had promised to get the irregularities at the CHC removed after the formation of an AAP government in the state, the key posts of doctors and paramedical staff are yet to be filled.

Acknowledging the delay in the redressal of grievances being caused due to the situation, Gajjanmajra said the process for filling vacant posts had already been initiated.

“Officials at all healthcare centres falling under my constituency have been cautioned against the harassment and exploitation of patients. The owners of private hospitals have also been asked to ensure that protocols, prognosis and expenses, including professional fee and cost of medicines, are explained to patients in a transparent manner and their kin at the time of admission,” Gajjanmajra said, adding that the vacant posts would be filled soon.

Residents, led by Rakesh Shahi, said successive governments had failed to upgrade the healthcare centre from a CHC to a hospital, even though the town was upgraded to status of subdivision over seven years ago during the tenure of SAD-led government.

Only four doctors, including an SMO, a dental surgeon, a paediatrician and an emergency medical officer, are available at the facility, against seven sanctioned posts of medical officer. The deployment of a gynaecologist, a surgeon and an MD (medicine) are urgently required at the CHC.

It is also reported that the facility also faces a shortage in terms of the paramedical staff, as there is no technician or helper to assist the dental surgeon and ophthalmologist. No post of dental helper or dental technician has even been sanctioned here.

Two posts of pharmacy officers, one post of ophthalmic officer, 12 posts of Class IV employees and one post of driver lie vacant at the CHC.

Sources at the hospital said the Ice Lined Refrigerator (ILR) that had been provided for the storage of transfused blood, was lying idle as both posts of lab technician were lying vacant. Tribune India