Urban community health centres (UCHCs) set up to provide accessible secondary healthcare and reduce the burden on government hospitals are struggling with severe staff shortages, non-functional emergency wards, and basic infrastructural lapses across the city.
A ground-level review reveals that the UCHC located within the civil surgeon’s office premises inaugurated in December 2024 to strengthen local medical care is operating with just four staff members, including an MD Medicine doctor, a general physician, a pharmacist, and a radiographer.
With a daily footfall of under 50 patients, the facility lacks adequate specialists, forcing staff to refer critical or specialised cases to the main Civil Hospital.
Stretcher as a seat and stray dogs in corridors
Patients visiting the civil surgeon’s office at UCHC face multiple hardships before seeing a doctor. In the absence of a proper sitting arrangement outside the OPD, patients are frequently seen waiting on stretchers placed in the corridors. The premises also suffer from poor upkeep, with dust, litter, and stray dogs resting inside the building, raising serious questions about basic housekeeping and maintenance.
“If we need a specialist, we are told to go to Civil Hospital. The centre has been made here so more doctors and services should be available here itself,” said Kamalpreet, a patient at the facility.
{{/usCountry}}“If we need a specialist, we are told to go to Civil Hospital. The centre has been made here so more doctors and services should be available here itself,” said Kamalpreet, a patient at the facility.
{{/usCountry}}While the centre includes a designated emergency room, it cannot independently manage emergency cases due to a lack of necessary manpower, leading to immediate referrals to the Civil Hospital. Concerns have also been raised regarding the regular availability of prescribed medicines at the facility’s pharmacy, leaving patients worried about whether they will receive their full prescription on-site.
Civil surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur said the low footfall is largely because residents prefer the Civil Hospital, which offers more extensive facilities. She added that the department is actively working on introducing new facilities at the centre, and further details about these initiatives will be shared after a week.
Shimlapuri centre faces similar challenges
Older facilities in the city face similar operational hurdles. The 20-bed UCHC in Shimlapuri, which has been functioning for about eight years, operates with seven staff members against a sanctioned strength of 21 doctors and paramedics, reflecting a long-standing pattern of manpower deficits.
Although the Shimlapuri facility features medical officers, staff nurses, a laboratory technician, and visiting specialists such as a gynaecologist, eye specialist, dentist, and orthopaedic doctor, it also struggles to make full use of its infrastructure. Patients requiring specialised care continue to face referrals elsewhere.
“The centre has been here for years and there are facilities, but patients still have to go elsewhere when they need specialised treatment. More staff would make a big difference,” said Sandeep Sharma, a patient at the Shimlapuri centre.
Dr Bindu Nalwa, SMO at Shimlapuri, stated that the facility is working to improve its services and introduce new initiatives. “We are trying to do our best and introducing some new things. After a week you will get to know about them,” she said, noting that new steel entrance doors, a labour room, and polyclinic services are planned to strengthen security and patient care.