Key posts vacant, healthcare hit in Una district

Rajesh Sharma

Una, December 25

Vacant posts at various levels in the district Health Department, including those of doctors, paramedics, operation theatre assistants and field-level health workers, have affected the delivery of health services to the people of Una district.

The pathetic situation begins at the Una district hospital, where patients have to wait in long queues to see a doctor. The average OPD at the district hospital exceeds 700 in a day and together with the attendants of the indoor and outdoor patients, the place is chaotic from morning till evening. A patient, who had travelled 25 km to seek treatment, said despite being sick, he had to wait in the queue for three hours to see the doctor.

No surgeries at civil hospitals

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• The department boasts of having five civil hospitals at Amb, Chintpurni, Gagret, Bangana and Haroli covering each block of the district, but surgeries are not being performed at these institutions
• Reason: The lone anaesthetist in Una district is posted at the Una district hospital. Besides, all 11 posts of operation theatre assistant are also vacant
• Chief Medical Officer Dr Sanjeev Verma admitted the fact and said at present, PHCs at Chamiari in Bangana block and Kuthar Beet in Haroli block were functional without any doctor. Besides, there are CHCs too, which are short of doctors

Out of a total 85 sanctioned posts of medical officer in the district, 10 are lying vacant. Similarly, 10 out of 11 posts of radiographer (X-ray technician) are yet to be filled, while all 11 posts of ophthalmic officer are vacant.

Out of the total 144 sanctioned posts of women health workers, 103 are vacant, while of the total sanctioned posts of 138 male health workers, 117 are awaiting appointment. The position of ministerial staff is no better with 30 of the total 37 sanctioned posts of clerk are vacant and 46 posts of the total 83 sanctioned class IV post are vacant. The department is also short of drivers with 17 out of the total 23 posts not yet filled.

While the department boasts of having five civil hospitals at Amb, Chintpurni, Gagret, Bangana and Haroli covering each block of the district, surgeries are not being performed at these institutions because the lone anaesthetist in Una district is posted at the Una district hospital. Besides, all 11 posts of operation theatre assistant are also vacant.

Consequently, though the civil hospitals may have specialist surgeons in general surgery, orthopaedics or gynaecology, they do not perform any surgery at these institutions, but the patient is referred to Una district hospital for surgical intervention. Shifting a patient from far off areas to the Una district hospital is not only a harassment to the patients and their attendants, it also puts excessive load on the resources available at the district hospital.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Sanjeev Verma admitted that there was a shortage of staff at various levels in the department. When asked regarding health institutions in the district, which are without any doctor, he said at present, PHCs at Chamiari in Bangana block and Kuthar Beet in Haroli block were functional without any doctor. Besides, there are CHCs too, which are short of doctors.

The state of health services at the peripheral health institutions in the district, including civil hospitals, CHCs, PHCs and sub-centres, is in dire need of human resources and health infrastructure so that patients get proper healthcare at the nearest institutions and excessive burden on the district hospital is reduced to enable good healthcare to the patients.