Fazilka health services in shambles

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, October 23

Out-of-order CT scan system, non-functional dialysis unit and a large number of vacant posts of Senior Medical Officer, programme officer and specialist doctor paint a grim picture of the health services in this border district.

Sources revealed that the CT scan machine installed during the tenure of the then Health Minister, Surjit Kumar Jyani, about a decade ago has been lying out of order and gathering dust in the old hospital building for about two years.

The hospital was shifted to a new building about a year ago.

Similarly, the dialysis unit has also been lying shut for a couple of years for want of a specialist doctor.

The sources said of the nine posts of Senior Medical officer (SMO), six had been lying vacant. No eye specialists and dermatologists have been posted in the district and the post of medicine specialist is also vacant in the district hospital.

Out of the total six posts of Programme Officer in the local Civil Surgeon office, four are vacant. The post of District Immunisation Officer, District Dental Health Officer, Epidemiologist and Deputy Medical Commissioner, who looks after the management of the hospitals are yet to be filled.

Besides this, the paucity of medicines has further added to the woes of the patients as there are only 120 to 130 types of medicines available against the stipulated 226 types of medicines mentioned in the list of essential drugs.

Civil Surgeon Dr Satish Kumar Goyal claimed that the new CT scan unit would be installed soon by a private company and a doctor had been sent for training for making the dialysis unit operational.

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