Phagwara Civil Hospital battles shortage of doctors

Phagwara, January 16

Though the Centre and the state government have been issuing standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the wake of Covid-19 surge, the 110-bed Civil Hospital has been grappling with shortage of doctors for the last couple of months. The hospital does not have a chest specialist, cardiologist, oncologist, nephrologist, ENT and urologist.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Lehmber Ram said he has written to the authorities concerned to provide these specialists at the hospital. Most of the patients visiting the Civil Hospital were being referred to private hospitals in Jalandhar, Kapurthala or Ludhiana.

Dr Ram said the Health Department was taking all preventive measures to control the pandemic. The SMO told that around 6,000 patients were being examined and treated monthly at the Civil Hospital. He said the hospital urgently needs apheresis machine, which separates blood cells.

Dr Ram said a new CT Scan Machine was being installed at Phagwara Civil Hospital on the basis of public-private partnership and the patient would need to pay only Rs800 as compared to Rs2,000 being charged by private centres.

Several politicians, including MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, former minister Joginder Singh Maan, Union Minister for State Som Parkash and Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla visited the hospital from time to time, but the issue related to shortage of doctors could not be addressed.

Needs apheresis machine urgently

The SMO said around 6,000 patients were being examined and treated monthly at the Civil Hospital. He said the hospital urgently needs apheresis machine, which separates blood cells. A new CT Scan machine was being installed at the Phagwara Civil Hospital on the public-private partnership basis, he added. A patient would would have to pay only Rs800 as compared to Rs2,000 being charged by private centres, he said.