Healthcare staff urges Punjab CM to fill vacancies, provide infra in hospitals

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 16

Residents of over 100 villages falling in surrounding areas of Ludhiana and Malerkotla districts are enthused with newly appointed AAP legislators and their supporters over questioning the authorities at government healthcare centres for allegedly providing poor services.

Meanwhile staff, including office-bearers of various trade organisations, have urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to fill vacancies and provide adequate infrastructure before initiating the exercise to appease voters by conducting ‘raids’.

Acute staff shortage, frequent transfers and deputations of doctors, besides unconcern of successive governments to upgrade the infrastructure and equipment were cited as major factors behind the predicament of almost all healthcare centres of the region.

Local leaders having failed to get required doctors and support staff at these centres, patients are left at the mercy of private hospitals and healthcare centres for availing emergency services instead of taking the risk of travelling to distant hospitals.

The authorities at Civil Hospitals at Ahmedgarh, Dehlon, Malaudh, Pakhowal and Raikot said higher officials in the Civil and Health Department had repeatedly been updated about the need of immediate revamping of infrastructure and staff for achieving desired results in healthcare service for all.

Dr Rajesh Garg and Dr Alka Mittal, SMOs at Ahmedgarh and Raikot Civil Hospitals, respectively, claimed that the staff, including doctors, paramedical and technicians, had been working diligently with available resources to provide best possible healthcare services to visiting patients from time to time.

“Though we have been providing best possible services with meagre human resources and equipment at our disposal, we can cater to more patients if vacant posts are filled and the infrastructure is upgraded,” said Dr Alka Mittal.

Dr Karamjit Singh, Pharmacy Officer at Dehlon and an office-bearer of the Punjab Pharmacy Officers Association, lamented that various personnel of the Health Department, who had been risking their lives during the recent fight against the coronavirus pandemic, were being projected as offenders and shirkers by recently elected legislators and their supporters.

“It is for the first time in the history of Punjab that employees, who buttressed the election campaign of AAP candidates of their respective areas, are being maltreated like slaves,” said Karamjit Singh while maintaining that no union would defend any member, who do not perform his or her duty diligently.

Investigations further revealed that doctors hailing from bureaucratic families get normally deputed in Mohali or any other city in proximity to the state Capital. It was suggested that the government should ban deputations, the method adopted by the then Health Minister Lakshami Kanta Chawla in 2007.

Perusal of records at various healthcare centres revealed that none of the units was provided adequate facilities and staff.

At the Civil Hospital, Dehlon, only one out of four specialists is available and two MBBS perform duties against sanctioned posts of four doctors. Thirteen out of 16 posts of class four employees are vacant here and all the five posts of sweepers are yet to be filled. Cleanliness work is done by ad-hoc workers deployed from time to time. No ambulance or vehicle is available at the hospital and two posts of driver are also vacant.

Posts lying vacant

Vacant posts at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedgarh: MO (Surgery) 1, MO (Gynae) 1, pharmacy officer 1, SLT 2, nurses 7, ward attendant 12 and driver 1.

Vacant posts at the Civil Hospital, Raikot: MO (Radiologist) 1, MO (Eyes) 1, MO (Anesthesia) 1, MO (Paediatrics) 1, Emergency Medical Officers 5, ANM 1, ophthalmic officer 1, pharmacy officer 1, medical laboratory technicians 3, accountant 1, OT attendant 1, ward attendant 18 and sweepers 10.

The authorities have also sent requisition for new posts of MO (Psychiatry) 1, MO (Dermatology) 1, MO (ENT) 1, senior pharmacy officer 1, nursing sister 2, staff nurse 1, multiple male workers 2, MLT Grade I 2, MLT 1, multiples supervisor male 1, ward attendant and sweeper 20, ASHA worker 4 and security guards 8.

Posts lying vacant at the Civil Hospital, Pakhowal, and subsidiaries: MO (7), clerk 1, computer operator-cum-clerk 1, BEE 1, multiple health worker 7, multiple health worker male 1, multiple health worker female 2, nursing sister 1, pharmacist 1, MLT 1, driver 1, trained midwife 4, class four and sweepers 50.

At the Civil Hospital, Malaudh, 76 posts of various cadres were reported vacant and its subsidiary healthcare centres falling under the Payal subdivision.

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