Nayagarh: The state government may have implemented ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative to keep a tab on quality of healthcare services offered in the state, but, that is unlikely to bring the desired changes without improvement in adequate infrastructure and manpower.
This was evident when 5T secretary VK Pandian along with several other top government officials visited Nayagarh district headquarters hospital (DHH) for an inspection recently.
As expected, the officials found the patients waiting for proper services amidst a severe crunch of healthcare professionals including doctors at the hospital. The issue, however, is not confined to the headquarters hospital. Manpower crunch mars healthcare services across the district, if government data is anything to go by.
Apart from the DHH and Ranpur hospital, there are 12 community health centers (CHCs) and 37 primary health centers (PHCs) in this district. Out of 196 sanctioned doctor posts for these 51 medicals, only 90 positions have been filled up and 106 are still lying vacant. In other words, well over 50 per cent doctor positions are lying vacant here.
Out of these 90 doctors, 23 are learnt to have taken leave for PG course while 18 are retired doctors who have been appointed on a temporary basis. There are four administrative officers instead of eight including CDMO at the DHH.
Instead of 53 doctors, only 24 doctors are managing the scene at the DHH. Both medicine and surgery departments are running with one doctors each instead of two, while 29 seats are still vacant in departments such as anesthesia, radiology, and pathology and skin. On an average, as many as 1500 patients visit the DHH on a daily basis. But they are not getting proper facilities here.
Similarly, only nine doctors are there at Basant Manjari general medical under Ranpur block instead of 15 doctors while the radiology and surgery department have no doctors. Out of 12 doctors needed at five PHCs under Badapandusar CHC, five are somehow managing. Five doctors instead of 11 ones are managing four PHCs under Bhapur CHC. Eight doctor posts are lying vacant at three PHCs under Gania CHC. Similarly, 11 doctor posts are lying vacant at five PHCs under Daspalla CHC. Nine doctor posts are vacant at four PHCs under Mahipur CHC.
Rajasunakhala CHC needs 19 doctors to man the Ranpur CHC and five other PHCs under it, however, nine of these posts are lying vacant. Out of 13 doctor posts, only five are there at five PHC and Kandapada CHC under Nuagadiasahi CHC. 11 doctor posts are lying vacant at Odagaon under Sarankula CHC. Badapandusar, Chandpur, Bhapur, Madhyakhand, Daspalla, Mahipur, Nuagadia, Rajsunakhal, Ranpur, Saranpur and Odagaon PHC are running without any permanent medical officer.
Some of these doctors are working on a temporary basis. Patients and relatives visiting to the PHCs allege that all the PHCs are not only functioning without doctors and nurses but also lack in providing basic facilities.
Without doctors, implementation of 5T and ‘Mo Sarkar’ is not going to improve healthcare, said locals and urged the government to fill the vacancies on priority.
