Times of
India: Dehradun: Tuesday, September 17, 2019.
Response
to a RTI (right to information) query has revealed that the state-run hospitals
in Uttarakhand have just 415 specialist doctors to cater to the 1.01
crore-strong population of the state. Haldwani-based activist Hemant Guaniya,
who filed the RTI, had sought details regarding doctors and specialists working
in the state-run hospitals. He had also asked for the number of doctor posts
created and filled since November 9, 2000, the day when Uttarakhand got statehood.
Speaking
to TOI, Gauniya said, “The idea behind the RTI was to find out how much
progress the state has made in terms of its medical facilities. Unfortunately,
the data provided by the authorities paints a grim picture. We just have 415
specialist doctors against 1,258 sanctioned posts. As many as 843 posts for
specialist doctors remain vacant,” said the RTI activist.
Even
among the specialist doctors working in the state, there are only two chest
surgeons and only two neurosurgeons. The state doesn’t have any plastic
surgeon, urologist, neuro-physicians, or neurologist in government hospitals.
The
RTI response further reveals that the state faces shortage of other specialist
doctors as well.
As
per the reply to the RTI query, Uttarakhand has just 48 gynecologists against
171 sanctioned posts, 60 child specialists against 140 sanctioned posts, 53
pathologists against 146 sanctioned posts, 37 eye surgeons against 137
sanctioned posts, five skin specialist against 5 sanctioned posts, 33 general
surgeons against 134 sanctioned posts, 40 orthopedic surgeons against 101
sanctioned posts, and 37 radiologists against 137 sanctioned posts.
Guaniya
further said that the lack of specialised doctors has a direct bearing on the
overall health status of women and child mortality rate of the state. “It is
very clear that successive governments have failed in bolstering health
infrastructure and recruiting health experts in Uttarakhand,” Gauniya added.
When
asked about the lack of specialised doctors in the state, Dr RK Pandey, DG,
health, told TOI, “To improve the situation in the government hospitals, we
have decided to recruit more specialised doctors. The state doctors, who have
gone out for completing their post-graduation, are also returning to work. Thus,
the number of specialist doctors is set to increase soon.”
Pandey
went on to add that fresh vacancies for the specialist doctors would be
announced within the next two months.
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