Shortage of ANMs hits health schemes in Patiala district

Karam Prakash

Patiala, November 5

Health services in the district, notably in the rural areas, have been hit by the shortage of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife which is commonly known as ANM. The ANM is a grassroot-level woman health worker, who is known as the first interface between the community and the health services.

Data of District Health Department has revealed that around 32 per cent of ANMs are lying vacant in the district. The vacancies are said to be more in the rural belt.

Experts, while highlighting the role of ANMs in providing health services, said they (ANMs) played a vital role in maternal and child care services: antenatal care, immunisation programmes and screening of high-risk population.

Apart from this, ANMs ensure implementation of various national health programmes at the ground level. The data revealed that 76 posts of ANMs, of the total 216, are lying vacant. The Primary Health Centre (PHC) Harpalpur, PHC Kalon Majra, PHC Dudhan Sadhan, rural blocks of the district, are worst hit. Harpalpur has the vacancies of 13 posts, Dudhan Sadhan 11, and Kalon Majra 9.

A Senior Medical Officer of Patiala Health Department, who wished not to be named, said, “The shortage of ANMs is severely affecting the implementation of various health programmes. The number of institutional deliveries in some rural blocks has already witnessed a dip obviously owing to the shortage of ANMs.”

Meanwhile, Patiala Health Officials said they had already apprised the people at the helms about the shortage of ANMs in the district.