Poor facilities, staff crunch ail health infra in Palwal
Only two of the 69 ultrasound machines, registered with the Health Department, in government-run hospitals and health centers across the district are currently functional.
Additionally, the Civil Hospital has only one operational CT scan machine and there are no MRI facilities available in any government health facility. Furthermore, key positions, such as Radiologist and Psychiatrist, remain vacant in district hospitals.
Despite these significant issues, which are expected to be addressed by the Haryana Health Minister, who is also in charge of the District Grievances and Redressal Committee, no immediate relief has been provided for the shortage of staff or infrastructure in the district’s healthcare facilities. These include the civil hospital and 23 other centers, such as two sub-divisional hospitals, six Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 15 Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
The shortage of essential diagnostic equipment is particularly concerning. Ultrasound, a basic and necessary service, is available in only two government-run hospitals: the main civil hospital in Palwal city and a sub-divisional hospital in Hodal. While an ultrasound machine was installed at the sub-divisional hospital in Hathin two years ago, it remains unused due to the lack of a radiologist. Similarly, while the CT scan facility is only available at the Civil Hospital, there is no MRI facility in any government-run health centre.
The shortage extends beyond diagnostic equipment. With most of the 10 radiographer posts vacant, patients are forced to visit private diagnostic centers for essential tests. Furthermore, over half of the 43 Laboratory Technician positions are unfilled, and the district has only 41 doctors to cover 55 sanctioned posts, making it challenging to manage the daily influx of approximately 8,000 patients in government hospitals.
The lack of basic medical facilities such as ultrasound and specialist doctors, forces many patients to seek treatment at private centres or hospitals, sometimes leading to exploitative practices, especially concerning prenatal tests. In emergency situations, patients are often referred to private hospitals due to the lack of trauma care facilities in government hospitals, CHCs, or PHCs.
Local residents, such as Mahender Singh, have expressed concern over these inadequacies, noting that most accident cases are redirected to private hospitals due to the lack of trauma care. At a recent meeting, District Commissioner Dr. Harish Vashisht voiced concerns about the declining sex ratio and announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information related to any violations in this regard.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Jai Bhagwan Jatain reassured that efforts are underway to address the issues. He emphasised that the authorities are aware of the situation and are taking steps to ensure the proper availability of healthcare facilities in the district.
