Residents demand adequate staff at Ahmedgarh health centre

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 3

Residents are upset that none of the candidates contesting the General Election from the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency or their supporters want to take responsibility for the poor state of the government Community Health Centre (CHC) in the town.

Patients from the town and over 40 villages in this region falling under Ludhiana and Malerkotla districts depend on this healthcare centre, which has yet to see an upgrade from the status of CHC.

Staff shortage and frequent transfers of doctors are some of the major factors behind the sad state of affairs at the CHC, commonly called the Government Hospital.

Five posts of medical officer are reported to be vacant at the hospital. A gynaecologist, a surgeon and a specialist in medicine are urgently needed at the centre. There’s an acute shortage of paramedical staff as well, and the hospital lacks technicians or helpers to assist the dental surgeon and ophthalmologist. In fact, no post of dental helper or dental technician has been sanctioned at the hospital.

The hospital’s ice-lined refrigerator (ILR), used to store blood for transfusion, is unused as both posts of lab technician are vacant.

A group of residents led by social activist Pawan Gupta said successive governments led by the Congress, the SAD-BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party had failed to address the major issues at the centre, such as the lack of staff.

Acknowledging the delay in redressal of issues related to the smooth functioning of a healthcare system, SMO Dr Rajesh Garg said, “Representations regarding filling vacant posts of doctor and paramedical staff have been made multiple times; however, the needful is yet to be done by senior functionaries in the department. Though successive legislators owing allegiance to the Congress, the SAD, and the AAP had been forwarding our representations for the upgradation of the centre to Civil Hospital and redressal of the perpetual issue of a lack of doctors and paramedical staff, we have not heard anything encouraging from the higher authorities so far.”

Officials at all government healthcare centres falling under the block have already been cautioned against harassing or exploiting patients, said Dr Garg.

“Even owners of private hospitals have been asked to ensure that protocol, prognosis, and expenses — including professional fees and the cost of medicines — are explained to patients and to their kin in a transparent manner at the time of admission,” he said.

Residents said successive governments had failed to upgrade the healthcare centre from a community health centre to a civil hospital, even though the town was upgraded to the status of a subdivision over seven years ago when the SAD was in power.

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