E-Paper
Govt hospitals face dearth of doctors
IF THE State Government decides to continue with the same lopsided Provincial Medical Service (PMS) transfer policy, the government doctors will very soon become 'rare' in Allahabad.
IF THE State Government decides to continue with the same lopsided Provincial Medical Service (PMS) transfer policy, the government doctors will very soon become 'rare' in Allahabad.
Not only the district hospitals are facing serious crisis of PMS doctors, the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) office is functioning with only three additional chief medical officers (ACMOs). The CMO and three ACMOs are responsible for proper management of 14 national health programmes, besides epidemic and anti-malaria programme, covering a population of over 55 lakh.
All the 11 sanctioned posts of Dy Chief Medical Officers in Allahabad district are reportedly lying vacant for the past two months. Also out of nine sanctioned posts of ACMOs, six are lying vacant. Earlier four ACMOs were posted, who were managing Vector Borne Disease, Leprosy Control, TB Control and Routine Immunisation programme. But with the retirement of ACMO Dr SC Khare on July 31, another ACMO's post became vacant. Dr SN Pandey (district leprosy officer) was reportedly made to handle the additional charge of TB control programme.
Sources said in the absence of Dy CMOs, important programmes like PNDT, Family Planning, Blindness Control and anti-quack raids are getting badly affected in the district.
"Some senior doctors have been made incharge of these programmes as a temporary arrangement. But they only act as a signing authority and are least concerned with the proper implementation of the health programmes. If the postings are not made before the pulse polio drive, its supervision will get affected. It is not possible for a CMO to alone monitor the six-day drive in every part of the district," said a senior health department employee.
CMO Dr Shantimal Singhavi said he would not be able to comment on it as the matter is directly related to the government. But still the postings of Dy CMO and ACMOs were expected to complete by mid September. "However we are managing the programmes successfully with the help of senior medical officers.
They are working overtime to get things done," he added.
