JAGATSINGHPUR: Nidaan scheme of the State Government, which aims at providing free diagnostic services in all State-run health centres, has remained a non-starter in Jagastsinghpur district. The scheme was launched on January 1 this year.
Consider the case of District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). The hospital has a sanctioned seven technician posts out of which, four have been vacant for long. While no diagnostic tests are being held in Primary Health Centres (PHCs), the Community Health Centres (CHCs) are also facing shortage of staff. There are a total of nine CHCs in the district which have a combined sanctioned strength of 24 technicians but nine of these posts are vacant.
Although the DHH’s pathology laboratory should remain open throughout the day, it operates for only three to four hours. Of the remaining three technicians in the laboratory, one is never available as he has been engaged in emergency services and Outdoor. As a result, many are deprived of the scheme benefits and those who avail diagnostic tests have to wait long for the results. Several times, patients are forced to depend on private laboratories for the purpose. Worse, the DHH has no radiologist.
“On any given day, there is heavy rush at the pathology lab here. We have to either stand in queue for long hours to get our test results or spend money to get the tests done in private laboratories,” said Sanghamitra Dei, a pregnant woman who visited the DHH to get thyroid and blood tests done.
Chief District Medical Officer, Ashok Kumar Patnaik said to tide over the situation, the DHH has pressed health workers with some knowledge of diagnostic tests have been roped in.
“However, this arrangement does not suffice. We have sought intervention of the Health Department to fill up the vacancies,” he said.
LABS CLOSED
Jagatsinghpur Hospital has four vacant technician posts against the sanctioned seven
Patients of DHH have to spend money in private pathology labs to get diagnostic tests
Currently, health workers are carrying out diagnostic tests in DHH