No docs for MCD maternity, child centres, dispensaries
Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) allopathic dispensaries in Issapur, Nangloi, Najafgarh and Nilothi, built at a cost of over R15 crore, are lying unoccupied. Reason: There are no doctors.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) allopathic dispensaries in Issapur, Nangloi, Najafgarh and Nilothi, built at a cost of over Rs 15 crore, are lying unoccupied. Reason: There are no doctors.
Similarly, several maternity centres built in outer Delhi in the last two years are also lying unused for want of manpower.
Most MCD dispensaries across Delhi are functioning at almost half the strength. While the older, established dispensaries are working with only 70% staff, maternity centres are managing with only 60%.
At least 30% doctors across MCD hospitals and maternity wards are working on contract. “Since there is such an acute shortage of staff, MCD is managing with doctor visits on alternate days,” said Dr VK Monga, chairman, public health committee at MCD.
“The real problem is that we get all our doctors from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which is not very prompt with recruitments. While MCD services have grown manifold in the last few years, there haven’t been as many post creations or notifications for the same. This has led us to this kind of a crisis. The UPSC has not even given us any doctors ,” Monga said.
Although last year the MCD got some doctors after they increased staff allocation, but they were all Unani specialists to fill in posts created for the Ayurveda centres, built in collaboration with AYUSH , under the health ministry.
But the real problem lies in getting MBBS doctors to fill in their existing posts that have been lying vacant, some for several years.
“While dispensaries are still manageable with visits from doctors every alternate day, the real problem is to fill in the 40% staff shortage in maternity centres and child homes, where most cases are emergencies and not having a doctor can lead to major problems,” said an MCD official, on condition of anonymity.