45% posts of specialist vacant at health facilities in Sangrur
Sushil Goyal
Sangrur, July 5
A large number of posts of specialist, like surgeon, gynaecologist, paediatrician and physician, have been lying vacant in Civil Hospitals and other health centres of the district. In the absence of specialists, patients have been suffering as they are forced to either visit a private specialist or seek treatment from other doctors.
As per information, 45 per cent posts of specialist have been lying vacant in the district. Of 93 sanctioned posts under various categories, 42 have not been filled in hospitals and health centres. There are nine vacant posts each of paediatrician and physician, followed by seven posts of surgeon, six of gynaecologist, three of radiologist, and two each of ophthalmologist, skin and VD, and anaesthesist; and one each of ENT and forensic medicine.
Process on to post doctors
My office sends a list of vacancies of doctors to the Department of Health and Family Welfare every month. The department has already initiated the process to fill vacant posts of medical officer and specialist under the National Health Mission. — Dr Kirpal Singh, Civil Surgeon, Sangrur
That is not all. Three posts of paediatrician, and a post each of forensic medicine specialist and ophthalmologist are vacant at the Sangrur Civil Hospital and its other units. At the Dhuri Civil Hospital, a post each of surgeon, physician and radiologist are lying vacant while at the Sunam Civil Hospital, two posts of physician, and a post each of gynaecologist, radiologist and skin and VD specialist are vacant.
Patients are also being inconvenienced at the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Moonak, where a post each of physician, surgeon, gynaecologist, paediatrician, anaesthetist, ophthalmologist, radiologist, ENT and skin and VD have been lying vacant. A post each of surgeon and gynaecologist are vacant at the Community Health Centre (CHC), Lehragaga. The situation is no better at the CHCs of Kohrian and Dirba, where all eight posts of specialist — physician, surgeon, gynaecologist and paediatrician — are vacant.
Besides, 10 posts of specialist, including physician and paediatrician, remain unfilled at the CHCs of Bhawanigarh and Longowal, and the PHC at Sherpur.
Asked about the acute shortage of specialists, Dr Kirpal Singh, Civil Surgeon, Sangrur, stated that his office sent the vacancy list of doctors to the higher authorities of the state Department of Health and Family Welfare every month. The Health Department had already initiated the process to fill vacant posts of medical officer and specialist under the National Health Mission, he added.
