Patients visiting the overcrowded taluk hospital at North Paravur have to wait for long to see a doctor or do a check-up because of the severe staff crunch at the hospital.
Though the government had upgraded the institution to taluk headquarters hospital some time ago, the number of staff remains the same. Over 1,300 patients visit the outpatient wing and casualty every day at the hospital which has only 19 doctors and 22 nurses.
“We have mostly a young team and are able to delegate a doctor for night duty. Doctors aged above 50 years are exempted from night duty,” said hospital Superintendent Dr. P.F. Rosamma. There was a need to strengthen services here, she said.
Patients also can’t depend on peripheral hospitals here because specialty doctors and other facilities are available only at the taluk hospital. Since the area is also affected by the flood, the number of people visiting the hospital is expected to swell in the coming days.
“The District Medical Office has been informed and the National Health Mission unit in the district is expected to provide one more doctor for night duty. It will be difficult for a single doctor to handle patients and other emergencies alone,” said Dr. Rosamma.
As per norms, a taluk headquarters hospital should have at least 28 doctors and corresponding support staff.
Meanwhile, the District Medical Office has posted a doctor for night duty at the Puthenvelikkara taluk hospital. A complaint had been raised by a patient for not getting a doctor’s service early in the morning in the flood-hit area. The hospital, which had been upgraded from a Community Health Centre, continues with the same staff strength with only five doctors.
