S.Tahir-Ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Aug 21: Despite tall claims of the government, 23 Gazetted posts, 47 Non Gazetted and 8 class IV posts are lying vacant in district hospital Baramulla.
Due to the scarcity of Gazetted and other staff in the hospitals, patients and the attendants have to bear the brunt and are left to fend for themselves. Large number of serpentine queues outside the doctors' chambers in district hospital Baramulla is witnessed every day, due to lacking sufficient manpower.
Authoritative sources told Early Times that, "200 bed district hospital Baramulla is not having a sufficient staff here due to which doctors find it difficult to take care of every single patient.
In gazetted staff there is a sanctioned medical superintendent post which is lying vacant from past two months and a senior most doctor has been assigned the job of I/C medical superintendent, whereas sanctioned post of consultant gynecologist and obstetrician are 4 and 3 are lying vacant, same is the case of Medical Officers (MBBS) 43 are sanctioned 30 are in position and 13 are lying vacant.
In non gazetted staff, 28 junior nurses posts are sanctioned in which 18 are in position and 10 are vacant. Sanctioned posts of junior lab technician are 8, 2 are in position and 6 posts are vacant.
Sanctioned posts of Junior X-Ray technician are 4 and 3 are vacant, junior theater technician are 8 and 7 are vacant, Anesthesia Assistant 6 are sanctioned and all are vacant. In class IV staff, attendant class IV 5 are sanctioned, 2 are in position and 3 are lying vacant and sweepers 19 are sanctioned and 4 are vacant, said sources.
A senior medical officer on the condition of anonimity said that, during NC-Congress coalition government, only castles were made in the air, and nothing was done well for this hospital, even though before present government, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah couldn't provide us Anesthetists here, which was a dire need for this hospital.
"It is learnt from reliable sources within the hospital that, 1200 OPD patients are seen on daily basis in which 400 are the follow up patients and eighty to hundreds patients on routine basis are admitted here every day.
The well efficient doctors are present here in this hospital. They spend their extra time for the well being of patients. But due to shortage of Medical Officers, doctors, paramedical and other non gazetted staff, patients suffers at large.
The medical officer at the district hospital Baramulla, lamented that, "given the patient load and strength of doctors at my facility I am hardly able to give a two minutes per patient in the OPD. This makes me wonder what the worth of my work is, what quality of services were provided at other hospitals. |
