Tarn Taran Diary: Staff crunch ails Aam Aadmi Clinics

The working of the some Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs) has not normalised despite the best efforts of the Health Department. In three clinics — Bhaggupur, Kot Budha and Khemkaran — selected medical officials have not joined their services to date. In nine clinics — Dehra Sahib, Lalpura, Mohanpur, Pahuwind, Jalalabad, Shahabpur, Bhaggupur and Kot Budha — the majority of officials have resigned in the past eight months. In these nine clinics, there was clinic of Khemkaran where no medical officer (MO) has expressed his willingness to joined his job. Dr Sandeep Kalra, Deputy Medical Commissioner (DMC) -cum-Nodal officer, AAC, said with the permission of the department to fill the posts of the medical officer for AAC’s interview was held recently and officials at five clinics have joined their services and three were still vacant. Dr Khalra said these station were at far off places near the border belt, making it tough for them commute. To provide services at these clinics, the department would make alternative arrangement to depute MO from the nearby health centres. The department often depute Community Health Officials (CHO) at these places to run the clinics. There are reports that many posts of the specialists have been running vacant in most of the Civil Hospitals in the district. At the district level 150-bedded Civil Hospital, Tarn Taran was running without the single sanctioned post of Gyneocologist since long, There is a separate building for Mother-Child Civil Hospital in Tarn Taran where the department had the proposal to depute 10 gynecologists with separate para-medical staff and the helping staff.

Meet Khushi, an all-rounder child prodigy

Kumari Khushi, a student of Class IV, Government Elementary School, Muradpur, Tarn Taran, is gifted with good qualities. School Head Daljeet Kaur Sandhu, staff and her class incharge Harmeen Kaur praise her for being an obedient, disciplined, hardworking and honest student.

Daljeet Kaur said Khushi apart from helping her class incharge, she helps teachers in organising morning assembly in the school, which has the strengthen of 438 students. She stood third in the English speaking competition at the school level. Khushi’s father is a gardener, who works on a meagre compensation for the private house-holders. Her younger brother studies in Class III in the same school. Khushi said after her school hours, she, along with her brother, helps her mother in the domestic works and completes her homework. She studies in advance the chapter which would be taught the next day. She actively participates in the academic competitions and games too. Harmeen her class teacher said that Khushi has been placing first place from the very the first standard and said that she has great expectations from Khushi in her future.

(Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)