Doctor shortage hits services in Moga

While AAP MLA from Dharamkot Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose has criticised his own government for neglecting healthcare facilities and treating the district unfairly, the reality is even worse than his claims. Government hospitals and health centres in Moga are facing an acute shortage of doctors.

Community health centres (CHCs), which provide essential healthcare services in rural and semi-urban areas, were struggling due to a lack of specialists, including gynaecologists, general surgeons and orthopedicians, sources said.

Of the 28 sanctioned specialist posts across six CHCs, only three doctors were available, the sources added. The District Hospital, which requires 22 specialist doctors in critical departments, has 10 vacant positions.

Across the District Hospital and six CHCs, there are 104 sanctioned posts of general physician and specialist. However, only 34 are currently filled, leaving a staggering 70 vacancies.

At the District Hospital, which handles 600-700 OPD cases daily, all three sanctioned posts in the medicine department were vacant, the sources said. The ENT and psychiatry departments also had unfilled positions, with the lone psychiatrist being posted at a de-addiction centre also, the sources said, adding that the hospital lacked a pathologist, radiologist and microbiologist.

The sources said among the five paediatrician posts, one was vacant, while another doctor had resigned.

The CHC, Badhni Kalan, has only one doctor against the six posts, with no general surgeon, gynaecologist, paediatrician or medicine specialist. At the Primary Health Centre, Patto Hira Singh, 11 of the 12 posts, including four specialist positions, are vacant.

Dr Pardeep Kumar, Civil Surgeon, Moga, claimed that the state government was working to fill vacant posts, with two new doctors being recently posted. He also asserted that all 28 Aam Aadmi Clinics in Moga had got general physicians.