Short of docs, Phagwara Civil Hospital referring patients to private centres

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara,October 13

The 110-bed Phagwara Civil Hospital has been grappling with an acute shortage of doctors for the past few months. The hospital does not have a chest specialist, a cardiologist, an oncologist, a nephrologist, a medical specialist, a urologist or a skin specialist.

Dr Kamal Kishore, Senior Medical Officer, Phagwara, said he had written to the authorities to look into the matter. Most patients visiting the Civil Hospital for treatment are being referred to private hospitals in Jalandhar, Kapurthala or Ludhiana. The SMO said the Health Department has been taking measures in the interest of the patients. The SMO noted that around 6,000 patients are examined and treated at the Civil Hospital every month.

An ultramodern elevator has been installed at the Civil Hospital at a cost of Rs 21 lakh for the convinience of pregnant women, new mothers and senior citizens, said Dr Kishore.

The SMO also revealed that a new CT scan machine is being installed at the Phagwara Civil Hospital, thanks to some public-private partnership, and a patient would need to pay just Rs 544 for a CT scan head. Notably, politicians like MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, former minister Joginder Singh Maan, Union Minister for State Som Parkash and Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla have visited the hospital in the past, but have all failed to resolve the issue of the crunch of medics.

The SMO said, out of the 31 sanctioned posts of doctors, 14 posts are still lying vacant. He added that out of the total 119 sanctioned posts of medical and para medical staff, as many as 50 posts are still lying vacant. He stressed that the hospital urgently requires two staff nurses, one pharmacist and someone to fill the position of the chief pharmacist.