Spiti, Kullu residents cry for expansion of hospital
Residents of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu have demanded the expansion of regional hospital. According to them, the population of the districts has increased manifold but the infrastructure of the regional hospital has not expanded as per their requirement.
Residents of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu have demanded the expansion of regional hospital. According to them, the population of the districts has increased manifold but the infrastructure of the regional hospital has not expanded as per their requirement.
The 200-bedded capacity Kullu regional hospital’s infrastructure is proving inadequate to facilitate the best health services to the people of the region as the hospital not only visited by the people of Lahaul Spiti and Kullu but the people of adjacent districts, Chamba and Mandi, also visited here for their treatment, which poses heavy burden on health authority.
Data with Hindustan Times reveals that 270 patients visit the hospital premises on a regular basis, while the hospital has a capacity of 200 beds.
Ashok Kumar, a resident of Kardang panchayat in Lahaul Spiti, said: “Lack of health services has forced tribals to go out of the district for treatment.”
Palmo, a resident of Jahlama panchayat in Lahaul Spiti, said in winters women faced difficulties, especially in pregnancy cases, when they were referred to Kullu hospital for safe labour as there was no gynecologist in the district who could deal with such cases.
According to Kullu residents, now the patients from outside the district has started coming to the hospital due to which the burden on Kullu regional hospital has increased.
Kullu chief medical officer, Baldev Thakur, conceded the increase in the number of patients to the hospital and said the health authority was trying to provide better health services with its resources. There are total 29 posts of doctors in the regional hospital of which 26 are available, including chief medical officer, while three posts of doctors such as anesthesit, pediatricist and medicine specialist are lying vacant in the district.