Solan Regional Hospital reels under staff crunch

Ambika Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Solan, May 6

The transfer of medical and para-medical staff deputed at the Regional Hospital to the upcoming medical college at Nahan has left the hospital understaffed.

The strength of doctors has reduced to 15, though being a 100-bedded facility, it should be 21. Three doctors have been transferred to Nahan Medical College. Earlier, four were shifted without any replacement.

Interestingly, Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur had recently announced the 200-bed facility for the hospital, which meant more staff was supposed to be deputed.

The surgery and eye departments do not have doctors. There is only one anesthetist while the other one is giving services on an ad hoc basis.

Against the sanctioned strength of 32, there are only 23 nurses while others have been transferred to Nahan.

The strength of para-medical staff is also weak. Since doctors work in shifts and also take care of VIP visits and court cases, the number of doctors attending to outdoor patients is as less as 7-10 in a day.

The BJP’s Solan Mandal today staged a protest outside the Regional Hospital demanding adequate staff.

President of the local municipal committee Pawan Gupta, vice-president Mira Anand and Shailender Gupta, general secretary of the Solan BJP Mandal, said it was appalling that the town which received patients from Solan, Sirmaur and Shimla districts was facing the worst-ever staff shortage.

They demanded immediate deployment of adequate staff and said if their demand was not met, they would be forced to protest.

They said the hospital had 32 doctors during the BJP tenure when the bed-strength was 100 and there was no shortage of doctors at that time, but the apathy of the Congress government had inconvenienced the people who were forced to go to private clinics.