District’s community health centres grapple with shortage of specialists

Patients have been at the receiving end due to the shortage of specialist in a majority of the district’s community health centres (CHC). At least three to four posts of specialist are vacant in every CHC across the district, due to which patients are being referred to the Civil Hospital.

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In the absence of specialists, CHCs are being run by medical officers, but not all patients can be treated by the medical officers, so many of them are being referred to the Civil Hospital, which further increases the patient load of the already overburdened and understaffed hospital. On average, 150-200 patients visit each CHC daily.

At the Malaud CHC, all six posts of specialists are lying vacant. At Koom Kalan CHC, there are seven posts of specialists, and all of them are vacant, in addition to four posts of medical officers, which, too, are lying vacant. The situation at Pakhowal CHC is no better, as all five posts of specialists are lying vacant.

At Dehlon CHC, there are a total of six posts of specialists, out of which only one is filled. At CHC Sudhar, there are five posts of specialist doctors, out of which three are lying vacant, and at Sidhwan Bet there are six posts, of which four are vacant.

A medical officer from one of the CHCs said that there was a huge rush of patients every day, and many times patients needed specialised care. “In the absence of specialists at the CHC, we are left with no other option but to refer them to the Civil Hospital. No doubt a lot of time is wasted in the process, but we do not have any option. CHCs badly need specialists for smooth functioning,” said he.

The family member of an expecting woman, who was referred to Civil Hospital, said her daughter had to get a C-section, but no doctor was available, and they were referred to the Ludhiana Civil Hospital. “What is the need of opening the health centre if it does not have the required number of doctors?” she questioned.

Civil Surgeon Dr Pardeep Mohindra said they had been repeatedly urging the government to fill the vacant posts. “As new recruitments are being done, we are hopeful to get new staff in the future,” he added.