Acute staff crunch hits health services in Yamunanagar

Health services are not in pink of health in Yamunanagar district. District Hospital, Yamunanagar; Sub-Divisional Hospital, Jagadhri; Community Health Centres (CHC) and Primary Health Centres (PHC) of the district are reeling under acute staff crunch, adversely affecting the health services.

Patients are forced to wait for long for their turn, with many returning home without getting any treatment. At Mukand Lal District Civil Hospital, one doctor is forced to attend 150-200 patients every day. This workload increased the stress on the available doctors and affects the quality of service.

Yamunanagar district has one hospital at Yamunanagar and one sub-divisional hospital at Jagadhri. There are eight community health centres and 15 primary health centres in the district and all these are facing staff crunch. There is a shortage of 47 percent regular staff in Mukand Lal Civil Hospital, Yamunanagar.

Of the 241 sanctioned posts of staff, including principal medical officer, senior medical officer, deputy medical superintendent and medical officers 114 posts are vacant in the district-level hospital. Similarly, there is a shortage of about 60 per cent regular staff in Sub-Divisional Hospital, Jagadhri. Of the 150 sanctioned posts of the staff, 90 are vacant in this second main hospital of the district.

There is a shortage of about 72 per cent regular staff in CHC, Radaur; Of the total sanctioned 61 posts, 44 vacant posts are vacant. In CHC Bilaspur, 13 of 41 posts are vacant, which is 32 per cent of the regular staff.  Nearly 60 per cent staff is not available at CHC, Sadhaura,  with 23 of 39 posts vacant. In CHC, Naharpur, 33 of 38 sanctioned posts are not filled, creating a 86 per cent shortage of regular staff. Similarly, there is a shortage of about 36 per cent regular staff in CHC, Pratapnagar as 13 of 36 posts are vacant. In CHC, Chhachhrauli, 28 of 46 posts are yet to filled, leading to 60 per cent shortage of the regular staff. About 52 per cent of the sanctioned staff is not there in CHC Saraswati Nagar due to 20 vacancies on 38 posts. Also, there is a shortage of about 85 per cent regular staff in CHC Akbarpur as 29 of 34 sanctioned posts are lying vacant. The situation is no different in Primary Health Centres also.

Amarnath (67), a Jagadhri resident, says he is suffering from several old-age related health issues and is a regular visitor to Civil Hospital, Yamunanagar. He adds sometimes he has to wait for his turn for long because of the overwhelming number of patients, and sometimes doctors are not available.

Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Sushila Saini says, "the Mukand Lal District Civil Hospital, Yamunanagar is visited by around 1500-1600 outpatients (OPD) every day. Though there is a shortage of doctors and other staff, we try to manage the situation with the help of the existing staff."