Shortage of staff hits hospitals

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The patient-staff ratio at major government hospitals in the district is startling: one nurse to take care of 75 patients on an average.

The government is still following the 1961 staffing pattern with regard to sanctioned posts even as the number of patients has increased manifold.

“In the budget reply earlier this year, the then health minister had promised to create more posts with immediate effect.

A ministerial meet had passed the same foreseeing the situation with the onset of the monsoon. But we have received no orders so far. The finance department is yet to sanction them,” said director of health services Dr P.K. Jameela.

The intended move was to set up an additional 650 new posts for staff nurses, 250 doctors, and 60 nursing assistants. Hospitals in Ernakulam district would have got nearly half the additional posts mooted.

Except the General Hosp-ital, the situation is quite deplorable in other government centres in the district.

“In Kothamangalam Hospi-tal there is no physician currently and the medical ward itself is not functioning. The average strength of Community Health Cent-res is just three,” a senior health official said.

In areas like Pothanikadu and Paingottur, from where most of the cases of dengue fever have been reported, the CHCs have just one doctor and there is no bed facility.

As an immediate way out, the director of health services has instructed district medical officers to appoint staff on temporary basis with the help of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and similar agencies. In Ernakulam alone, 120 doctors have been appointed as an ad hoc measure.