3 specialists shifted, patients at Nurpur hospital harried lot

Strap: Year after CM announcement, no word on upgrade, blood bank facility

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Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, November 19

Medical services at the Nurpur Civil Hospital have been severely affected as its orthopaedic surgeon has been transferred and an ophthalmologist and a radiologist got selected at the Government Medical College, Chamba, and Tanda Medical College, Kangra, respectively, as registrars.

The 100-bed hospital caters to residents of four subdivisions in lower Kangra district — Nurpur, Indora, Jawali and Fatehpur — besides neighbouring Bhatiyat subdivision of Chamba district.

On the request of local MLA Rakesh Pathania, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had announced to upgrade the hospital from 100 to 200 beds during his maiden visit to the area on March 3, 2018, after becoming the CM.

He had also assured of providing blood bank facility in the upgraded hospital. Though the state government has issued a notification for the upgrade of the hospital, no steps have been taken so far to accommodate the additional sanctioned 100 indoor beds. Now, with the transfer of three specialist doctors in a row has further disappointed patients coming from far-off places. The blood storage centre of the hospital, too, has not been upgraded so far.

The post of radiologist, which had been filled after a long time two years ago, has again fallen vacant. Pregnant women who have to undergo ultrasound examination are the worst affected. They are forced to travel to neighbouring Pathankot’s (Punjab) private clinics or laboratories for the examination. As per information, an ultrasound test that costs only Rs200 in the civil hospital here costs Rs700 in private laboratories and the patients have to bear additional travelling expenses.

Under the Centrally sponsored Janani Shishu Suraksha Yojana, all clinical tests, including ultrasound, of pregnant women are free but here they are being forced to bear extra cost.

A patient said a permanent radiologist should be recruited at the hospital and until then some temporary arrangement should be made by hiring a radiologist on deputation twice or thrice a week.

Kangra Chief Medical Officer Dr Gurdarshan Gupta said: “In view of the shortage of radiologists, the state government had issued directions for signing MoUs with private hospitals or clinics within the state having ultrasound facility to ensure free ultrasound examination of pregnant women and pay its charges from the Rogi Kalyan Samiti fund. I am yet to receive a proposal for the construction of an additional hospital building to accommodate 100 extra beds.”