Skeleton staff, poor infra plague rural healthcare in Majha

Tribune Reporters

Tarn Taran/Gurdaspur, May 18

Battling the lack of health infrastructure and staff, the rural areas in the Majha belt are dependent on medical facilities at the district headquarters, especially for the treatment and care of Covid-19 patients.

The Centre had recently advised setting up of 30-bed Covid care centres for asymptomatic cases with comorbidities or mild cases, but many in the Health Department said given the available resources and infrastructure in rural areas, it was not possible. A majority of the community and primary health centres in Tarn Taran and Amritsar are facing shortage of medical officers. In the name of ambulance, these centres have old and worn-out vehicles.

Tarn Taran district alone is short of at least 100 medical officers. The district has a total of 220 sanctioned posts, of which only 120 are filled. At several CHCs and PHCs of Amritsar, many among the health staff have been assigned more than one health centre. At Kairon village in the border belt, the CHC, which was meant to be a 30-bed facility, is still working with 10 beds. The ambulance is not equipped to provide oxygen to patients. The situation is similar at other health centres in Ghariala, Khemkaran, Kasel, Chabal, Sursingh and Miandwind.

The Tarn Taran Civil Hospital does not have a single ventilator as two from here were shifted to Patiala. Civil Surgeon Dr Rohit Mehta admitted shortage of infrastructure and manpower. He said they were trying to make the best possible use of the available resources. In Amritsar, apart from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, no other facility is authorised to admit Covid patients.

The residents of Daoke, Bharowal and Bhaini on the border in Amritsar said in case of an emergency, they were forced to rush to the city, 35 km away. Gurdaspur Civil Surgeon Harbhajan Ram said in one village, a co-morbid patient got vaccinated but soon died, not of Covid but of a multi-organ failure. “This was enough to scare the villagers. Now, people in several villages of Dorangla block have refused to get the jab despite our best efforts,” he said.