28 posts of doctors, paramedics vacant at SDH Tangdhar

Staff shortage hits patient care

Kupwara: The dearth of staff and specialised doctors at Sub District Hospital Tangdhar in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district has always been a concern for the local population due to which patient care has been badly hit here.

The residents said that ever since this hospital was upgraded, it had not been a priority for the authorities.

They said that with the lack of specialised doctors at Sub District Hospital Tangdhar, they were forced to go to Kupwara or Srinagar for better treatment.

The residents said that the dearth of staff here had not only severely hit the patient care but the available staff also remains overburdened which tells upon the smooth functioning of the hospital.

According to an official document, at least 28 posts of doctors and paramedics are vacant here.

Of the total 16 sanctioned posts of doctors, 11 are vacant.

“One each sanctioned post of a consultant medicine, consultant pediatrician and consultant orthopedics have been vacant since long and of the 12 sanctioned posts of medical officers, eight are vacant,” the official document reads.

The hospital is also facing an acute shortage of paramedics and other staff. With each sanctioned post of a radiographer, junior theater assistant, physiotherapist, supervisor lab technician, health inspector, LHV, senior assistant and cook, all are lying vacant.

Of the six sanctioned posts of junior grade nurse and five sanctioned posts of nursing orderly, one post each is lying vacant.

Of the two sanctioned posts of ward boy, chowkidar and PMA, all six posts are vacant while three posts of BHW and one post of safaiwala also remains vacant.

The residents said that they had many times brought this issue into the notice of the concerned authorities but nothing had been done to augment the staff at SDH Tangdhar and instead several influential doctors had been attached to different hospitals of Kashmir who were drawing salary against the posts in Medical Block Tangdhar.

 

 

District Development Council (DDC) Karnah member Najma Hameed told Greater Kashmir that with non-availability of consultant medicine and consultant pediatrician, the people in Karnah were suffering.

“I had taken up the staff shortage issue with the then LG G C Murmu in a meeting. He had assured me that the issue will be redressed but to no avail. I have even written to the present LG Manoj Sinha for augmentation of the staff at SDH Tangdhar but till date nothing has been done in this regard,” she said.

Locals of the area have appealed to the concerned authorities to augment the staff so that the people may get some respite.