Infra upgrade, manpower supply needed to better health services in Amritsar district

Manmeet Singh Gill

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Amritsar, March 23

To improve health services at government hospitals in the district, Aam Aadmi Party MLAs will have to do more than merely conducting inspections and questioning employees about lack of cleanliness as the health centres are plagued with a number of problems.

From infrastructure bottlenecks to shortage of manpower and from general indifference of the medical staff to influence of private hospitals’ lobby and political interferences, they would have to deal with a number of issues.

A case in point being the situation at Government Dental College and Hospital here, which is running its affairs with less than 17 per cent of the sanctioned faculty posts. Of the 56 faculty posts at the college, 46 are vacant.

“One can easily understand the plight of students, who have enrolled here. With such shortage, there is no way that clinical services can be provided effectively. When the government becomes indifferent, employees lose interest and become lethargic,” an insider said.

The condition at Government Medical College is no better as instead of addressing the core issues, the focus had been on constructing new building blocks. The shortage of faculty, paramedics and other categories is taking a toll on health services for the poor.

The condition of manpower and infrastructure in rural dispensaries is even worse as previous governments’ in order to fill the vacant posts in the city hospitals had recalled all specialist doctors from hospitals in villages.

At present, the district-civil hospital and Government Medical College are the only institutions, where most of the rural residents have to come to seek specialist advice.

A senior doctor said: “Political interference in hospitals regarding issuance of medico legal reports and preferential treatment to select patients must be ended.” He said for this purpose, all appointments would have to be made on merit basis. He said so far no such change has been seen and honest and dedicated employees are waiting for the government functionaries to take cue.