Shortage of docs, staff ails Civil Hospital

Tribune News Service

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, April 8

The OPD of the Civil Hospital here is full to the brim these days. Amidst this, the hospital is reeling under staff shortage.

Around 500-800 people visit the OPD of the hospital daily. During summers, disease such as diarrhoea and gastroenteritis put an extra burden on the OPD. The existing staff at the Civil Hospital is overburdened. The hospital immediately requires new appointments.

Not only doctors, but also staff, including nurses, radiologists, pharmacists, operation theatre assistants and Class IV employees, are understaffed. The hospital has a capacity of 300 beds apart from the regular OPD.

The hospital urgently requires seven medical officers. Out of the total 15 posts, only eight are filled. At present, there is only one medicine specialist against three sanctioned posts. The lone specialist is looking after OPD patients, in-house patients, doing medical for job entrants, VIP duties, post-mortem duties and making fitness certificates for various religious pilgrims from time to time. The Civil Hospital OPD in the Medicine Department caters to 250-300 patients daily. Keeping in view the footfall of patients, the number of posts should be increased to five.

Out of the three sanctioned posts in the Surgery Department, only one is filled. In Radiology, there are two sanctioned posts and one is filled. Seeing the rush in the hospital, the sanctioned posts need to be increased to four.

Against the sanctioned posts of 135 staff nurses, only 49 are appointed and the hospital needs 86 more staff nurses to carry the work smoothly.

The post of matron is also lying vacant. Workload on the nursing staff coupled with extended working hours is giving tough time to the staff.

Out of the total eight sanctioned posts of pharmacists, only five are filled at present. The hospital has eight sanctioned posts of operation theatre assistant (OTA). Out of this, only one is filled and seven are lying vacant. Class IV employees play an important role in the functioning of the hospital. There are 66 sanctioned posts of Class IV employees and only 13 are filled, while 53 are remaining vacant.

A doctor from the hospital said: “Rush is increasing in the hospital these days as summers are here. This weather brings hosts of diseases along with it. We are hopeful the new government will make fresh recruitments”.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Amarjeet Kaur said they had written to the authorities concerned regarding the staff shortage. There was a need for sufficient staff for the smooth functioning of the hospital.

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