Palampur Civil Hospital without orthopaedic surgeon

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, May 3

In the absence of orthopaedic surgeons, no surgeries have been conducted at the Palampur Civil Hospital for the past three months. As a result, patients have to go to private hospitals or Tanda medical college for surgeries.

Shifted 6 months ago, posts still vacant

Orthopaedic surgeons were transferred from the Civil Hospital six months ago but the government had neither filled the vacant posts, nor deputed surgeons from the adjoining hospitals.

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According to official sources, orthopaedic surgeons were transferred from the Civil Hospital six months ago but the state government had neither filled the vacant posts, nor deputed surgeons from the adjoining hospitals. Accident victims brought to the hospital during late hours are the worst affected.

The hospital caters to the medical needs of over seven lakh residents of Palampur, Jaisinghpur, Baijnath and Dheera subdivisions in Kangra district. It has an indoor capacity to admit 100 patients. Before the Covid outbreak, over 500 to 700 patients visited the hospital every day. A paediatrician had died but the post had also not been filled. Likewise, a post of radiologist is also vacant.

The government has upgraded the hospital, doubled its bed capacity from 100 to 200, and increased the posts of doctor to 34. At present, six posts of doctor in different departments are vacant, affecting the smooth functioning of the hospital. There is no arrangement to attend to emergency cases that are invariably referred to Tanda medical college, IGMC, Shimla, the PGI, Chandigarh, or the CMC, Ludhiana.