Staff Shortage In Himachal’s Health Centres

(Y.S. Rana The writer is a Hamirpur based Himachali settled in Chandigarh)

It has become a habit of every government to announce opening of medical colleges, community health centres (CHCs) or public health centres and development of health infrastructure under political pressure. But the irony is such conventional wisdom is grossly lacking in the public health structure in the state. Shortage of health staff especially specialists is not new to Himachal Pradesh as theyare not available in the so-called referral hospitals. Though the state government has increased the sanctioned strength of MBBS doctors from 1,597 to 2,091 and had also appointed 516 doctors, yet 650 post of doctors are vacant. In case of pregnant women with complications reaching at CHCs, identified as the first referral units (FRUs), they are supposed to be saved by an obstetrician, anaesthetist and paediatrician team. At times either there is no such health staff or found absent. The result is that such patients have to be taken to medical colleges or district’s headquarter hospitals for any meaningful life saving intervention and care.

Villagers of Barsar sub-division while talking to Himachal This Week revealed the fate of many pregnant women-especially those with complications. They told that villagers in such cases hire a taxi and rush the patients to the nearest hospital only to realise that there is no surgeon or orthopaedician to attend to them. To their utter disgust, the relatives find that there is a doctor but the same has been deputed somewhere else. It is also stated that FRU did not have the combination of anaesthetist-obstetrician-paediatrician.     And it is not an isolated example but health services across the state need relocation of health staff especially specialists. “Why we cannot relocate the specialists within the district, region or state for better utilisation of their skills?” questioned a retired teacher. Not only people but doctors are pushed to the limit due to shortage of health staff. According to official records, there is a shortage of 74 paediatricians; 353 laboratory technicians; 628 staff nurses; 450 male health assistant and 411 female health assistants at CHCs and PHCs in the state. Shortage of staff sometimes leadd to altercation or misbehave with doctors, admitted health department official.

There are also cases of ENT surgeons and radiologists managing malaria and leprosy control programmes in some districts and ophthalmologists are posted as epidemic and diarrhoeal disease control officials. There are number of cases across the state where right doctors have been given wrong posting. The state government should take a proactive step of appointing doctors with post-graduate qualifications in different specialties in district hospitals and the CHCs and they were not sent to a PHC which would have been their normal entry point to government services, suggested a doctor. It is also worthwhile to evaluate whether they are posted in the right places giving the best output. It will motivate them to serve the public health system longer rather than quitting. Otherwise, one may say “right doctor, wrong posting….absurdities galore” growing in the state health services.

According to official records there is shortage of 74 paediatricians; 353 laboratory technicians; 628 staff nurses; 450 male health assistant and 411 female health assistants at CHCs and PHCs in the state

Himachal-o-Meter

The state’s ups and downs this week

Himachal to Get Share in SJVN’s Buxar Thermal Power Project

Shimla: Himachal is all set to get 25.5% share in the 1320 MW super critical thermal power project in Buxar in Bihar, a fast-track project of the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) which is directly being monitored by the Prime Minister Office (PMO). The project has got the environment clearance and awaits investment approval from the Central Economic Affairs Committee. The government has accorded approval for the Buxar plant. “Once we get investment approval, we hope to complete the project in four years. Himachal will get 25.5% share as per its equity participation in the SJVN, said NL Sharma, director, Personnel and Administration, SJVN. Buxar power project is the SJVN’s first thermal power plant to come at Chausa village in Buxar district of Bihar. With its headquarters based in Shimla, the SJVN is executing hydropower, solar and wind projects in Himachal and other parts of the country and Nepal. The project would generate 9,828 million units every year. “The tentative tariff for the first year of generation is Rs 3.38 per unit,” said the Chairman and Managing Director SJVN RN Misra. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 9,591.72 crore.

Air Pollution Exceeds National Standards in BBN

Solan: Industrialisation has started showing its aftereffects in Himachal with the level of ambient particulate matter (APM) exceeding the National Air Quality Standards consecutively from 2011 to 2015 in the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN). The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to take effective steps to maintain pollution level within the prescribed norms. Following these directions a slew of directions have been issued by the officials of the SPCB to various departments like Municipal Committees at Baddi and Nalagarh, BBN Development Authority and Regional Transport Official to devise suitable action plans to reduce air pollution within a time-bound period. The response, however, has been lackadaisical and not even a single department has submitted any action plan so far, confirmed Brijbhushan, Executive Engineer, SPCB. The BBN Development Authority, which is undertaking various infrastructure development projects in the area, is supposed to play a key role to control air pollution. The authority has been directed to ensure that there was a complete ban on the biomass and garbage burning which was a major contributor to the air pollution.

 

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