Shortage of doctors hits health services

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, January 21

The shortage of specialist doctors, senior medical officers (SMOs) and emergency medical officers (EMOs) has hit health services in Fazilka district, forcing the poor to turn to private hospitals which charge exorbitant fee from them.

Of the nine senior medical officers’ posts at various hospitals and community and primary health centres, six have been lying vacant. Even the post of senior medical officer at the district hospital has been vacant for a year.

Official sources said the posts of ENT specialist, eye specialist, blood transfusion officer and dermatologist have also been lying vacant. The only gynaecologist, Dr Manjeet Kaur, has also submitted her resignation. Moreover, the only medical specialist (a woman doctor) often remains on leave on one pretext or the other, they said.

No post has been sanctioned to the Fazilka District Hospital, set up in 1909 during British regime, in the past seven years. The civil hospital, known as Dane Hospital before Independence, lacks ventilator and ICU facilities. The situation is grave in villages as not even a single specialist doctor has been posted in rural areas in the border district. All four posts of specialist doctor at the Jalalabad Civil Hospital, community health centres of Sito Guno, Khui Khera, Dabwala Kalan, Wahabwala and Ramsara are 

lying vacant. People applying for a medical fitness certificate, driving licence and handicapped certificate are the worst hit. They are being referred to Government Medical College, Faridkot.

Though the Health Department recently claimed to have issued appointment letters to several specialist doctors, but none of them has been posted here. A dermatologist who was transferred here last month reportedly refused to join.