Ultrasound unit gathers dust in Nowshera
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 17: While nearly 136 posts of doctors including 28 Specialists and 295 of para-medical staff, are lying vacant in various hospitals in district Rajouri since long, the ultrasound machines installed at Nowshera and Rajouri hospitals are gathering dust as no staff was appointed for the same.
Sources in the State Health Department revealed that at present, a total 95 posts of Assistant Surgeons and 28 Specialists besides ten (10) Dental Surgeons and a few in other fields are lying vacant in various hospitals in district Rajouri. In District Hospital Rajouri and Sub- district Hospital Nowshera, no staff in the Radiology wing is available.
Not only ultra-sound but several other machines available in the hospitals are lying unused. For this facility, the people have to depend on the private labs/ diagnose centers. In District Hospital Rajouri, no Radiologist has been appointed. The ultrasound here was made functional recently by making internal arrangement. Even for CT scan no permanent staff is available. In Community Health Centre Kalakote, there is no Child specialist and Gynecologist. People have to move to Sunderbani or Rajouri for getting the medical treatment.
Besides one District Hospital Rajouri, there are four (4) Sub-district Hospitals, 3 Community Health Centres, 22 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), 140 Sub-Centres, 16 dispensaries, 11 Medical aid centeres and one Urban Health Unit. Majority of the SDHs, PHCs, Sub-Centres are under staff and in many hospitals specialists are not available. The public has to remain mainly dependent on the district hospital where huge rush is always witnessed at the OPD and Emergency unit.
Director Health Services Jammu Dr Madhu Khullar when contacted said that there was shortage of doctors not only in Rajouri or Jammu but throughout the State. She claimed that sufficient staff has recently been provided at Rajouri, SDH Nowshera and Sunderbani. She maintained that process of recruitment is going on and the vacant posts will be filled up as soon as possible. She said in Rajouri and Nowshera all specialist doctors are placed. There may be some problems in other hospitals and the department is doing its best to enhance facilities, she maintained.
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