Dadu Majra PHC grapples with staff shortage

Charu Chhibber

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29

Despite having infrastructure and health care facilities, the Urban Primary Health Centre, Dadu Majra village, is facing dearth of staff.

The PHC has a Medical Officer and 12 other staff members, including a pharmacist, auxiliary midwife nurses and class IV employees. The health centre caters to the entire village population which is estimated at nearly 4,000.

There is only one doctor here who deals with a daily rush of nearly 150 patients in the out-patient department (OPD). On designated days, like ante-natal day, which is on Tuesday, the PHC witnesses an even heavier patient load, leading to overburden on the staff.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Dr Shwetambari, Medical Officer, Dadu Majra PHC, said, “We have all the facilities, here. The municipal corporation officials have been supportive when it comes to fulfilling our demands but we urgently need more staff. We have a very heavy patient load and the present staff strength is simply not sufficient.”

The staff at the health centre added that the number of staff has remained unchanged ever since the dispensary came into being years ago.

“Over the year, so many health care programmes have been introduced and implemented by the UT Health Department for the benefit of residents. However, the number of staff members providing services has remained the same, which has led to extreme pressure on the staff,” shared a staff member.

Another staff member blamed the situation on the shortage of health care professionals in the UT.

“The village has one health centre for such a large population. As per the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s estimate, by 2021, the village will have a population of 6,000. How will one health centre with one doctor cater to the need of allresidents?”questioned Bhupinder Singh, a village resident. He said there was an urgent need for more staff, including at least two doctors, at the village health centre.

Meanwhile, Dr Rakesh Kashyap, Director, Health Services, UT, said, there was a need for more doctors in the Health Department and recruitment of at least 50 doctors would be done as per the procedure to fill up the vacant posts.