Palampur: Despite the fact that the state government
has been spending crores of rupees to provide better
health cover in the state yet health services here are
in a shambles. The 100-bedded government civil
hospital here is in bad shape. This hospital looks
after the medical needs of over four lakh patients
every year. This is the only hospital in the region
comprising Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur
sub-divisions, which can accommodate 100 patients.
Between 200 to 300 patients visit the hospital daily.

Shortage of doctors, nurses and other para-medical
staff in this institution is a common thing. Though
the state government had upgraded this hospital about
20 years ago, yet it lacks all basic amenities. Posts
of an eye and ENT specialist have been lying vacant
for the past one year causing great inconvenience to
the public.

In the present situation there is no provision to
attend emergency cases. Most of the time these cases
are sent to the zonal hospital at Dharamsala, the PGI
Chandigarh, or the CMC Ludhiana. Many times a patient
dies for want of medical care.

The sanitary condition of the hospital is also poor.
Heaps of garbage can be seen in the hospital compound.
Bathrooms stink.

The hospital is ill-equipped to provide better medical
care. There is shortage of medicines, including
life-saving drugs, cotton, bandage, x-ray films, bed
sheets and blankets. The patients are always asked to
buy medicines from the market. However, senior
officers claim that medicines worth crores of rupees
keep lying in the stores but doctors working in field
and sub-divisional hospital do not lift stocks despite
repeated reminders. They say all types of medicines
are available in the stores.

The state government has constituted a Rogi Kalyan
Samiti in the hospital, which collects funds from
patients who undergo operations and other medical
check-ups in the hospital. In past five years over Rs
75 lakh were collected, yet these funds were spent on
the purchase of some equipment and for the renovation
of hospital complex.

Political interference in the functioning has also
made matters worse. All postings and transfers of the
doctors are made on the recommendations of local
political leaders.

Ii is high time that the authorities wake up to
restore the health of this hospital.




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