Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 31: Trauma centres established in hilly areas of Jammu division are still running without requisite staff and the Operation Theaters (OTs) are not functional despite one year after Governor ordered to health department to make them fully operational.
Reliable sources informed Early Times that due to non- serious approach of health department officials, these Trauma centres were still suffering and could not achieve the objective behind their establishment.
"Need to establish these trauma centres was felt when the number of road accidents increased alarmingly in these areas", sources said, adding that four Trauma Centres were established in Jammu division at Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban and Doda but despite lapse of considerable time period these centres are still not fully functional.
They further said that in these Trauma Centres the necessary equipment particularly the CT Scan machine is still lacking, even Orthopaedic Operation Theatre is yet to be made fully operational.
Taking an example of Tramua Centre Thatri (Doda), sources said, "Six specialist doctors' posts were sanctioned for years, but till date not a single specialists is posted here".
Similarly, in Trauma Centre, Ramban, health department has not posted a single specialist doctor though the centre is fully functional in papers for years.
Trauma Centre in Udhampur has yet not become fully operational mainly because of manpower shortage.
"The government must put in place requisite infrastructure in these trauma centres and also trauma specialists to handle trauma cases if you really mean business," they said, adding that otherwise having such centres won't serve any purpose.
As per guidelines of Union Health Ministry Trauma Centre Level-II should have 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.
Director Health Service Jammu, Dr BS Pathina, didn't respond to repeated phone calls. |
