Shortage of doctors and technicians is plaguing government hospitals in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district. Though many of the hospitals have the required beds and equipment, the lack of specialist doctors and technicians to operate the equipment is forcing the tribal people to go to far distant places for treatment.
A team from Praja Arogya Vedika (PAV), an NGO, conducted a field study in the Agency areas recently to know the health problems of the tribal people.
“Though the government has increased the bed strength, there is no hike in the hospital budget or proportionate increase in the number of doctors. Even the sanctioned medical officer posts are not being filled. The 150-bed Area Hospital at Araku has only two doctors and the District Hospital at Paderu has only four doctors as against the requirement of 34 doctors,” says PAV general secretary T. Kameswara Rao.
“The Area Hospital at Araku has a scanning machine but absence of a scanning technician is forcing pregnant women to go all the way either to S. Kota or Paderu for scanning. The Araku hospital is equipped to perform eye surgeries but lack of ophthalmologists has rendered the equipment waste. In the absence of proper facilities for their stay, doctors are not preferring to stay at their place of posting,” he says.
“The government is providing buildings and medical equipment but neglecting recruitment of doctors and technicians, thereby rendering costly medical equipment a waste. The non-availability of specialists and anaesthetists was preventing doctors from undertaking surgeries. Pregnant women, requiring surgical treatment, are being referred to the King George Hospital (KGH) in the city, sometimes endangering the life of both the mother and the baby due to delay in medical aid,” he says.
Vaccination: Of the 11 lakh population in the 11 mandals in the Agency, only 1.26 lakh have been vaccinated, so far. Though people living in villages, located close to mandal headquarters, were taking the vaccine shots, those from the interior hamlets have their own apprehensions and are refusing to take the jab.
Mr. Kameswara Rao suggests that the tribal people, who have already taken the jab, should be used as volunteers to motivate and educate those who are shunning the vaccine. The other suggestions made include: appointment of specialist doctors on permanent basis at PHCs, CHCs, Area and District Hospitals and provision of accommodation to doctors, grant of special allowance and benefits to doctors to attract them to the Agency areas and hastening the vaccination process to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the tribal areas.
The other members of the team, which participated in the field survey, are: V. Umamaheswara Rao and R. Sankara Rao, Girijana Sangham leaders.
