Hospitals in Ferozepur reeling under staff crunch, inadequate resources
Anirudh Gupta
Ferozepur, December 28
Notwithstanding tall claims of the ruling regime to improve the healthcare system, acute shortage of doctors, paramedics and resources portray a grim picture of the reeling healthcare scenario in this border district.
Against 121 sanctioned posts of doctors, almost half of these (57) posts are lying vacant. Even the important positions of the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) and SMOs (Senior Medical Officer) were lying vacant for over two months. Just two days ago, Dr Rajwinder Kaur had joined as the CMO while the posts of SMOs are still without incumbents at Ferozepur, Guruharsahai and Zira sub-divisions.
In Ferozepur Civil Hospital, out of 38 sanctioned posts of specialised doctors, nine posts have been lying vacant. Similarly, in Zira, out of 20 sanctioned posts, 8 posts are vacant, in Mamdot block, 6 out of 12 are vacant, whereas in Ferozeshah, 9 out of 13, and in Guruharsahai, 8 out of 10 posts of doctors are without any incumbent.
Same is the position in Kassoana where 3 out of 6 posts of doctors are vacant, and in Makhu, 4 out of 7 posts of doctors have been lying vacant. Sources in the medical department said most of the doctors who are appointed here, get themselves transferred after sometime.
At present, there are six ventilators available in the civil hospital, however, the hospital does not have a staff trained to operate those. Sunir Monga, a social worker, said their NGO had donated a ventilator to the civil hospital but it kept gathering dust due to which they had to donate it to a private hospital.
Manohar Singh (55), a resident of Panje ke village, said, “I had come for an x-ray on Tuesday, but the staff told me to come the next day as the machine was not working. I am here and the machine is still out of order.”
Nirmaljit Arora, a social worker, said most of the patients, who are brought to the civil hospital, are referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, or have to go to private hospitals. “The x-ray machine remains dysfunctional most of the time. In many cases, the medicines prescribed by the doctors are not available in the stock here. The sewerage system remains blocked most of the times due to which the patients have to suffer,” said Arora.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said he has apprised the senior officials of the health department regarding shortage of doctors in the region, adding that they will look into all issues and sort them out.
