Bargarh: Shortage of doctors and support staff has affected healthcare delivery in entire Bargarh district. It is learnt that the healthcare centres here have been facing an acute shortage of doctors for the last several years.
Apart from the district headquarter hospital (DHH), and sub-divisional hospital in Padampur, there are 15 community health centres (CHCs), 48 primary health centres (PHCs) and two urban primary health centres (UPHCs) in this district.
Out of 299 sanctioned doctor posts for these hospitals, only 125 positions have been filled up and 174 are still lying vacant. In other words, well over 50 per cent doctor positions are lying vacant in this district. These vacancies have paralysed the healthcare system here.
It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently inaugurated the new building of 300-bed DHH at Tukurla (Khedapalli) located about eight kilometres away from the town. At the same time, Patnaik also declared the old DHH as Urban CHC. Though two more healthcare centres have been added to the list, lack of doctors continues to mar healthcare system.
The health department has apparently failed to improve healthcare issues in this district despite convening several review meetings in the past.
PNN
