Sirsa health centre faces shortage, villagers demand immediate action
The local community health centre at Chautala village, Sirsa, is facing a severe shortage of specialist doctors and medical resources. On Friday, villagers submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Senior Medical Officer (SMO), demanding immediate intervention. The villagers warned of mass protests if their demands were not met.
According to farmer leader Rakesh Fagoriya, the situation has worsened since the the retirement of the previous SMO. The lack of specialists led to four newborn babies and one woman losing their lives, triggering a two-month long protest by the villagers.
Former Health Minister Anil Vij had previosuly promised the appointment of specialists, but no action has been taken.Instead, three nurses were transferred, further complicating the situation.
The villagers have put forward the following demands: the appointment of a permanent SMO, a gynaecologist, a pediatrician, along with the reopening of the operation theater and mortuary. They also pointed out that the lack of a dentist and surgeon, which has forced locals to travel to Rajasthan for treatment.
In response, the state health department released a list of 533 new doctor postings with 21 doctors assigned to Sirsa. According to the civil hospital administration, 14 doctors will be stationed at Sirsa Civil Hospital, while two each will be posted in Dabwali, Rania, Ellenabad, and one in Kalanwali. Additionally, the 14 doctors at the the Civil Hospital may later be relocated to high demand areas in the district.
