Ludhiana: Patient care under strain as staff crunch hits civil hospital

There have been no regular specialists in medicine, dermatology, cardiology, ophthalmology and forensic wings

The civil hospital has been grappling with shortage of staff amid the increasing rush of patients in the facility, leaving both medics as well as patients at the receiving end, officials have said.

According to SMO Dr Akhil Sareen, higher authorities have been apprised about the hospital’s requirements. (HT File)

Medical officers say the allotment of manpower is based on the institution’s old 100-bed structure despite the facility now functioning as a nearly 300-bed hospital. Officials said another 100 beds are expected to be added shortly under the Mother and Child Care expansion, while a 75-bed Critical Care Block is also set to become operational, taking the hospital’s total capacity close to 500 beds soon.

“Staffing levels have not increased proportionately, putting additional pressure on the existing employees and affecting patient care. The hospital has already been expanded to around 300 beds and will increase further. The manpower should be revised according to the present requirement,” a senior doctor said.

Officials, wishing not to be named, said the hospital has increasingly been relying on deputation and empanelled contractual workers to manage operations, but need of a regular staff is urgently required as the emergency ward and the outpatient departments receive hundreds of patients, leaving the medical staffers on toes everyday.

“A regular medicine specialist has not been available for nearly a year. Empanelled doctors are handling services in several departments. As per the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms, a hospital requires six nursing sisters for a 300-bed facility, but only three are currently available here,” doctors said.

“At least three more nursing sisters are immediately required. Deputation staff cannot be a long-term solution,” a senior doctor said.

They said the upcoming 75-bed Critical Care Block alone would significantly increase manpower requirements, especially for nursing services. While the hospital will eventually require nearly 135 staff nurses after expansion, only 49 nursing posts are currently sanctioned, out of which 47 are presently functional, they said.

Shortage in other wings

Officials said that despite having a sanctioned post for an electrician, no regular electrician is posted at the hospital. The scenario is no different when it comes to Class-IV and sanitation categories. While 54 ward attendant posts are sanctioned, only 11 employees are currently available, officials mentioned.

In the biomedical waste management category, only three workers are available against 23 sanctioned posts. Doctors further said there is no sanctioned government post for oxygen plant operators despite increasing dependence on oxygen infrastructure after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pharmacy services are also under strain, with only three pharmacists working against a requirement of nearly 10. The sanctioned post of chief pharmacy officer is also lying vacant, they said.

Officials further said the institution still does not have a designated fire safety officer despite the increasing size of the facility. Officials added that the fire no objection certificate (NOC), an important requirement under National Quality Assurance Standards, is also pending.

Acknowledging that the hospital is functioning under pressure due to increasing patient load and expanding infrastructure, senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Akhil Sareen said, “We are trying to strengthen services with the available resources. Higher authorities have been apprised about the requirements,” he added.