Govt docs' shortage in Jind forcing patients to go elsewhere

Jind: An acute shortage of government doctors in state-run hospitals and health centres in the district is forcing patients to visit other places for treatment. Sources said as against the sanctioned strength of 210 doctors only 49 are working in the district.

Jind civil hospital, which has over 1,200 outpatient department (OPD) visits on a daily basis, has been relying only on 14 doctors, including four women doctors, and three dental surgeons, whereas 56 posts are sanctioned here.

Talking to TOI, a senior doctor in the civil hospital said, “We don’t have a skin specialist for the last 15 years despite a high number of patients with such diseases turning up here for treatment. There are no doctors to treat the ailments of heart, nerves and dengue and malaria for the last seven-eight years. Apart from it, no ENT specialist is available for the last two years despite 200 patients visiting the OPD every day. There is no eye specialist here for the past one year.”

Jind chief medical officer (CMO) Shashi Prabha said, “We have sent several reminders to the higher authorities to depute doctors here. Till now, the problem persists and we are forced to rely on less than 40% doctors. Even some specialists like ENT doctors are not available in the entire district. Following the shortage of medical officers, we are bound to refer the patients to other hospitals for further treatment.”

Jind MLA Krishan Midha, who is from the ruling BJP, said the issue of shortage of doctors had been brought to the notice of the Haryana health minister Anil Vij and he hoped the government would depute the specialists in the district soon.