Faridabad Civil Hospital short of specialists, staff
The Bhadshah Khan Civil Hospital here, which serves one of the most populated districts of the state, continues to face the issues related to staff and infrastructure, despite being one of the oldest government hospitals in the state. The unavailability of many facilities has been a cause for concern, despite the recent announcement of the state government to upgrade it further.
With over 2,200 people reporting to the OPD here daily, the available strength of 40 doctors (the sanctioned strength is 55) is proving insufficient to handle the visitors. While eight posts of medical officers (MO) have been lying vacant for the past many years, seven have either resigned or have been absent without submission of the reasons, according to sources in the Health Department. The unavailability of specialists from the fields of medicine, radiology, forensic sciences, neurosurgery, gastroenterology and ENT, has adversely impacted patient care here.
“The treatment and diagnostic facilities at private hospitals are out of reach of patients hailing from poor or middle class. We have been forced to visit private ultrasound centres in the wake of non-availability of a radiologist at the hospital,” says Kavita, a resident of NIT here.
The post of a radiologist fell vacant after the promotion of the earlier incumbent, who has now been asked by the authorities to conduct tests three times a week besides his official duty, it is revealed. Around 100 patients require an ultrasound test daily, many of them fail to get the facility, says a hospital employee.
The intensive care unit (ICU), which became operational in 2022, has been non-functional due to unavailability of staff for the past over two years. This has left the hospital as only a referral point in case of the treatment of serious patients. Though the ICU needs four medical officers (doctors), 16 nurses and four operation theatre attendants (OTA) and other support staff, no one has been appointed. The emergency or the casualty ward has a total of four doctors against the requirement of 8-10 medical officers. “The department has to depute senior doctors in the ICU to deal with the problem,” says an official. There are currently 83 nursing officers (nurses) against the sanctioned 90 posts and five laboratory attendants of the total sanctioned 14 posts.
The hospital has been able to provide 75 to 80 percent of the medicines at its own pharmacy which are recommended by the doctors. Dr. Savita Yadav, Principal Medical Officer (PMO), of the hospital says the shortage of staff and several other requirements have been brought to the notice of higher authorities, and these would be resolved soon.
