Sanctioned posts 11, but only 2 ANMs on roll at Abohar Civil Hospital

The vaccination drive, which is held each Wednesday and Saturday at the Abohar Civil Hospital, went haywire due to shortage of the auxiliary nurse midwifery (ANM) workers, who are the first point of contact between the residents and health services.

Total chaos prevailed at the postpartum unit today as pregnant women and children came to get vaccinated. Eight ANMs were posted at the postpartum unit, of these, six were recently absorbed as permanent staff and posted at the Community Health Centres (CHC) in villages. Thus, the entire responsibility of vaccination fell on two ANMs.

On normal days, 50 to 60 women and children are administered vaccine. Today, around 250 women and children were vaccinated.

Sources said there were 11 posts of ANMs at the postpartum unit. Of these, only eight ANMs were providing services while the remaining three posts had been lying vacant for long. “It has become difficult for two ANMs to administer vaccine. The city’s population has reached 1.75 lakh,” said the sources.

ANMs Dinesh Rani and Lakhwinder Kaur urged the state government to fill the vacant posts at the postpartum unit immediately.