District hospital 'too sick' to care for the sick!

Chamarajanagara, Jun 15 (UNI) One of the most backward districts in Karnataka is also lagging behind in health services even 11 years after its formation.

Despite being upgraded, the Chamarajanagara district hospital lacks the facilities expected in a district level hospital.

Health department sources in the district told UNI that they were unable to extend good health care to the people because of insufficent staff.

Added to this, since the last few days, the hospital authorities have stopped attending on patients after evening.

People from rural areas, who come to the district hospitals in the evenings after work, have been left in the lurch. The development had come as a shot in the arm for private practioners who were doing roaring business.

The sources said more than 1000 patients visit the district hospital every day. Though the required number of doctors is 23, only eight were working at the hospital. The government had not sanctioned posts of specialists, which is a prerequisite in a district hospital. There are also no pharmacists to distribute medicines to patients.

A senior official said though there were 13 doctors in the district who were intrested in working here, they had been transferred to other places. Even no contractor was coming forward to bid for santiation works in the hospital.

The condition in taluk hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHC) was even worse. There are 61 PHCs, three Community Health Centres (CHCs) and four taluk hospitals in the district. The required staff strength in these hospitals is 1400, but about 555 posts were vacant. No efforts were being made to fill the posts.

Though the state government had sanctioned setting up of PHCs in many villages, doctors have not been posted till date, the sources said.

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