Subarnapur: Lack of infrastructure including shortage of doctors and support staff has affected healthcare delivery in entire Subarnapur district.
A community health centre (CHC) and six primary healthcare centres (PHCs) run without doctors. Altogether 70 vacancies have paralysed the system.
There is a need for 127 doctors in the district while the current doctor strength is hardly 57. Over a hundred paramedical posts are also lying vacant.
The district headquarters hospital (DHH), Birmaharajpur sub-divisional hospital (SDH), five other CHCs and PHCs of the district a part of KBK are struggling with staff shortage.
Many PHCs are being managed by pharmacists who are catering for the healthcare needs of patients. Sindol, Hariharjor, Kotsamalai, Mendha, Bhimtikira and Sankara PHCs have no doctors.
Furthermore, the maternal and child health centre at Dunguripali CHC is lying unused in the absence of adequate number of doctors and nurses which was constructed with crores of rupees.
The post of Ulunda medical superintendent including five other specialist doctors are lying vacant. The CHCs at Tarabha, Dunguripali and Binika also face the same situation.
Most of the hospitals do not have proper infrastructure and medical equipment let alone specialist doctors. General doctors and nurses are also not there in adequate numbers.
In addition to above, the Subarnapur DHH lacks in specialist doctors in gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, anesthesiology, skin, dental, ENT, surgery and pathology departments.
Patients are being compelled to visit private labs for pathological tests. During rainy season, patients are being helplessly treated on the floors of different hospitals.
Subarnapur district has a large number of tribal and scheduled caste people who easily fall prey to witchcraft and sorcery.