Chhatrapur: Medical services have gone haywire in Ganjam district as around 210 posts of doctors are lying vacant in hospitals.
The availability of other medical personnel is also not satisfactory as several posts of nurses and paramedics are also vacant in the district.
As a result, many commoners are not getting proper healthcare services. This has put them in trouble as they have to spend a lot and go to Berhampur or Cuttack to get treatment.
Most of the hospitals here do not have a labour room and pregnant women face a lot of problems. Many pregnant women have died while being shifted to other hospitals.
Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange had directed to ensure childbirth facilities at all hospitals. But nothing much has been done regarding this.
Childbirth facilities are available at the district headquarters hospital in Berhampur, the sub-divisional hospitals at Chhatrapur, Bhanjanagar and Hinjili, 27 of the 29 community health centres, eight of the 90 primary health centres (new) and two of the 460 heath sub-centres.
But the shortage of gynaecologists and other healthcare professionals often come in the way of childbirth services in many hospitals.
There are 949 beds at the DHH, the sub-divisional hospitals at Chhatrapur, Bhanjanagar and Hinjili, 29 CHCs and 11 PHCs (new), but the unfilled posts of doctors and other personnel, and the absence of vital facilities have paralysed these hospitals.
The administration is well aware of the matter, but has done little to address the problem. The issue recently came up for discussion at the Ganjam Zilla Parishad meeting held at Chhatrapur.
The Berhampur MP, MLAs, Zilla Parishad members and block chairpersons who attended the meeting expressed concern over the state of affairs, and decided to seek the intervention of the government.
According to data available from the district health department, the district has only 189 doctors against the sanctioned 399 posts. Around 210 posts of doctors are lying vacant in district hospitals.
Similarly, 40 of the 139 posts of nurses sanctioned are vacant, while there are only 118 pharmacists against the sanctioned 137.
Moreover, five posts of radiographers, 51 posts of laboratory technicians (pathology, leprosy and malaria), 206 posts of health workers (male and female), 10 posts of statistical assistants, 27 posts of drivers (for ambulance and other hospital vehicles), 88 posts of attendants and 73 posts of sanitary workers are vacant in the district.
Chief district medical officer Dr Sadananda Mishra said the government has been informed about the vacant posts of doctors and other healthcare personnel.
PNN