Vacant OT assistant posts cause surgical delays at Khaneri hospital

Patients at Khaneri Hospital near Rampur are facing severe delays in surgical treatments due to all four posts of Operation Technical Assistants (OTAs) being vacant. As a result, surgeries are being scheduled up to three months later, with emergency cases referred to Shimla or Rampur Bushahr.

Medical Superintendent Dr Ajay Negi confirmed that the Health Department has been informed about the vacancies, but until the posts are filled, critical patients must travel to Shimla or Chandigarh for treatment. Despite the presence of three orthopaedic specialists, two gynaecologists and three surgeons, surgeries remain delayed due to the lack of OTAs.

Khaneri’s Mahatma Gandhi Medical Complex serves patients from Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu, and Mandi. The hospital sees over 1,000 outpatients daily, including 250 gynaecology and 200 orthopaedic patients. Last year, it treated 2.73 lakh patients, including 15,000-20,000 indoor cases.

Local residents expressed frustration, stating that even with specialists available, patients are still referred elsewhere for surgeries. The hospital has designated specific days for surgical services—two days for gynaecology and general surgery, and one day each for ENT, eye, and orthopaedic surgeries. However, with only one day allocated for orthopaedic procedures, emergency patients, especially accident victims, face extended waits. Until the OTA positions are filled, Khaneri Hospital’s surgical services remain severely strained, leaving patients with no choice but to travel long distances for urgent medical care.