Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Feb 2: Hospitals in Ganderbal district are facing shortage of staff including doctors and inadequate infrastructure.
A local Fayaz Ahmed said that Primary health center Hariganiwan (PHC) which caters to thousands lacks basic facilities and is facing shortage of doctors.
Patients and attendants said that on one hand the authorities have been claiming that the PHC has been upgraded but the staff strength continues to remain the same here as it was decades ago.
There is a shortage of gynaecologists, staff nurses and other paramedical staff.
Due to lack of staff particularly during night, patients from far flung areas like Mammer, Kachpathri, Gichkhoad, Ganiwan, Surfraw and adjacent areas are being referred to Srinagar hospitals for the treatment of minor ailments.
Another local Gayas Khan said that the Primary health centre Gund (PHC) is also confronting the same issue.
Though the health centre has machinery worth lakhs but is not operational as there is none to operate them, residents said.
“Shortage of paramedical staff causes inconvenience to patients. There is no orthopedic, Anesthetist, Pediatrician, Ophthalmologist or Surgeon,” they added.
Locals alleged that after spending money for the establishment of an Operation Theatre in PHC Gund, not a single operator (technician) is deployed there.
Locals said that the PHCs witnesses at least 200-300 patients in its Outpatient department (OPD) in a day.
Similarly, the PHC is without the Computerized Tomography (CT) scan forcing the doctors to refer the stroke and trauma patients to Srinagar.
“There is no MRI facility, Digital X ray, blood bank in the hospital even,” said attendants.
According to the sources, several posts are vacant in Trauma Hospital Gund and PHC Hariganiwan, “We have informed the concerned higher ups about the vacancies in vain,” said the hospital sources.
Both CMO and BMO Kangan didn’t respond to repeated calls.
