Rural health services in disarray at Palampur

Despite the state government spending crores of rupees on healthcare each year, the rural health services in the Palampur region remain in disarray. While officials claim the state offers the best medical facilities, the reality is disappointing. Patients suffer due to over-medication, a shortage of staff, and a lack of essential facilities like X-ray and sonography.

Many hospitals have ultrasound machines lying unused due to the absence of radiographers.Over a dozen Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and other rural health institutions in Palampur have virtually become referral centers. They neither handle emergencies nor admit indoor patients, referring even minor cases to RP Government Medical College Tanda or Civil Hospital Palampur.

Despite adequate infrastructure, even routine deliveries are not conducted, inconveniencing the public. Some institutions conduct only five to six deliveries annually. First aid is often unavailable for accident victims, and doctors, drawing salaries between Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 1,50,000 per month, fail to provide adequate services.

Two civil hospitals, a 100-bed facility in Thural and a 50-bed one in Bhawarna, have been under construction for six years, delayed due to a lack of funds.

Once completed, they could ease the burden on Civil Hospital Palampur and Tanda Medical College. However, the slow pace of construction leaves residents with limited medical options.

Palampur Civil Hospital remains the only major healthcare centre catering to seven lakh residents from Palampur, Jaisinghpur, and Baijnath. It is constantly overcrowded. Though a new hospital building has been made operational, only a few wards have been shifted due to staff shortages, preventing the addition of 100 more beds.

Despite having 18 doctors, the hospital lacks specialists in urology, cardiology and gastroenterology. Serious cases continue to be referred to institutions like Tanda Medical College, PGI Chandigarh, and Punjab hospitals, causing hardship to patients from remote areas.

The hospital was first upgraded to a 100-bed facility in 1985 and later expanded to 200 beds in 2017. However, the necessary additional staff was never provided, making it difficult to manage the increased capacity effectively.

The state government must urgently address the staffing crisis, expedite pending hospital projects, and ensure rural health institutions function effectively. Without these measures, the healthcare system in Palampur will continue to deteriorate, leaving residents with inadequate medical care.