Shortage of staff hits patient care in District Hospital Baramulla

A view of District Hospital Baramulla. -Excelsior/Aabid Nabi
A view of District Hospital Baramulla. -Excelsior/Aabid Nabi

Waseem Ahmad
SRINAGAR, Feb 14: Dearth of staff at District Hospital Baramulla is hampering the patient care and forcing the patients to cover long distance for treatment.
An official at the hospital said out of allotted 73 doctors, only 62 doctors are available and rest 11 posts of doctors are vacant. Similarly, against allotted 141 paramedics and 40 nurses, only 104 paramedics and 23 nurses are available.
The locals alleged that in absence of the required staff they are forced to visit other hospitals for the treatment. Although, the District Hospital was shifted to the new complex in Kanispora area of the town with up-graded bed capacity, but the requite staff was not provided. “They shifted the hospital from old building which was 100 bedded to the new 300 bedded hospital complex but the staff remained same as was in the old hospital,” General Secretary, Traders Federation Baramulla, Tariq Ahmad Mugloo said.
He said only two doctors are available in the casualty ward of the hospital in which more than 400 patients visit every day.
A doctor at the hospital told Daily Excelsior that there is a huge burden on the doctors which is hampering the patient care. “We are not able to examine all the patients properly as there is dearth of doctors in the hospital. To overcome the patient rush in the hospital, we have to examine them hastily due to which we are losing our credibility,” he said.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Syed Masood said that there is shortage of staff in  hospital but the department had roped in the employees of  National Health Mission (NHM) to  tackle the issue. “We are facing shortage of some doctors, paramedical staff and nurses in the hospital but most of the vacancies were fulfilled by the NHM employees,” he said.
“We are facing shortage of Gynecologists as the hospital caters to entire north Kashmir and four are insufficient,” he said, adding over 500 deliveries are done in a month in the hospital.
As per the sources, hospital has recruited some employees under its Hospital Development Fund (HDF) who are not qualified.
When asked about the matter, Dr Masood said the employees are qualified and they were recruited after proper scrutiny of the documents. “We have recruited 35 persons under HDF and they are all eligible. Some persons are working as sweepers or helpers; they might be less qualified, he added.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here