Ludhiana: Staff crunch ails CHC Dehlon

As the hospital does not have a single specialist doctor, a majority of patients are referred to the civil hospital for medical care

The community health centre (CHC) in Dehlon which caters to large population spread over 20 villages and sees a daily footfall of around 250 patients, is grappling with staff crunch. Built at a cost of ₹6 crore, the government-run facility has only two regular doctors while six out of eight sanctioned posts of doctors are lying vacant.

As the hospital does not have a single specialist doctor, a majority of patients are referred to the civil hospital for medical care. The doctors deployed here work during the morning shift and no doctor is available during the night hours. In their absence, the patients are attended by nurses, ward attendants, and other support staff.

Vijay Shahi, a resident of Dehlon village, said “It is distressing that there is not a single specialist doctor at the community health centre, despite multiple requests and reminders to the area’s MLA, officers, and even the state government. “

“As the facility is located on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla road, which is an accident-prone area, the hospital provides medical assistance to at least three emergency patients every day. Due to the lack of staff, people are forced to seek private healthcare or travel to the Ludhiana civil hospital”, added Shahi

The building which is spread over two acres cries for maintenance as the hospital does not have any class 4 employees or any regular gatekeeper. The staff deployed here said that sometimes they are forced to leave important tasks to perform other duties due to a lack of supporting staff.

When asked about the situation, civil surgeon Hitinder Kaur said , “I have formally communicated with the state government regarding the need for specialist doctors at the CHC Dehlon.” She added that the department is actively working on this issue, recognizing the urgent requirement for additional staff.

She further said that recently, one doctor has been deputed to the hospital on deputation.