No doctors, no nurses in 16 government hospitals

MORIBUND HEALTH SCERIO IN ASSAM

One doctor for 6,225 patients in Assam, whereas the norm should be 1:1000.

BITTER PILL
No of health sub-centres in State - 4,604
Sanctioned strength of doctors - 3,470
Sanctioned strength of nurses - 7,502
No of hospitals without a single nurse - 54
No of hospitals without a single doctor - 50
No of hospitals without doctors and nurses - 16
Vacant posts of doctors - 450
Vacant posts of nurses - 231
Doctor, patient ratio (2011 survey) -  1:6225

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, May 29: In 2013, the Assam government had announced plans to set up model hospitals in each of the 126 constituencies in the State – a move billed as one of the biggest initiatives by the State’s Health department. The Bhalukdoba Model Hospital in Barpeta is one among those proposed 126 model hospitals which were set up by the Health department.

The irony is that Bhalukdoba Model Hospital is currently running without doctors and nurses.

The hospital is among 54 such health institutions in the State which does not have a single nurse.

In 50 health institutions in the State, there is not a single doctor, reflecting the pathetic healthcare scerio in the State. Sixteen hospitals have neither a doctor nor any nursing staff, official statistics say.

The situation is worse in Kokrajhar where 13 hospitals are doing without doctors and 12 others without nurses.

In Baksa, 12 hospitals do not have any nursing staff.

Even in a district like Sivasagar, five health centres do not have a single doctor, while three others do not have nursing staff.

There are six hospitals in Barpeta without doctors.

As on February this year, 450 posts of doctors were vacant in the State. The State was also facing a shortage of 231 nursing staff. According to the norms of the World Health Organization and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the doctor vis-à-vis patient ratio in a state should be 1:1,000. However, in Assam, according to the 2011 figures, the ratio is 1:6,225.

There are 4,604 health sub-centres in the State. The sanctioned strength of doctors and nurses in the State is 3,470 and 7,502.

Apart from the health centers which have been plagued by crippling shortage of facilities, even the five medical colleges in the State are running low on essential medicines and other equipment, including cotton and bandages, even as X-ray, ECG machines etc remained defunct at many such institutions.

Even the big government hospitals have reported shortage of essential items for surgery like sutures, surgical blades, cotton and gloves as well as painkillers like morphine, antiemetic drugs, antibiotics, muscle relaxants and aesthetic drugs, forcing patients to purchase these from outside.