HYDERABAD: In a move to highlight the inadequacies in public health facilities in Medchal district, Telangana Poura Spandana Vedika, a citizens’ organisation, has conducted a survey of 15 government health centres. Almost half of the centres have been found understaffed.“Most of these centres are short of either ANM (Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery) workers or doctors,” SivaKumar K, the organisation’s general secretary, said on Monday.
These health facilities include Unani Hospital Moula Ali, PHC Jawaharnagar, PHC Malkajgiri, PHC Mallikarjun Nagar, PHC Shameerpet, UPHC Quthubullapur, UPHC Balanagar, PHC Ghatkesar and PHC Narapalli. At UPHC Balanagar, nearly all doctors were found to be absent.
According to the survey, the most acute shortage of staff was found at Jawaharnagar PHC, where nearly 70,000 pregnancies were handled in a year by only two doctors and 12 other technical and support staff. “The staffing at this PHC was as per the sanctioned strength, but the sheer volume of over 2 lakh dependent population is a lot. Thus, a new PHC is urgently needed,” SivaKumar said.
He further noted, many PHCs lacked medicines and equipment. At some facilities there aren’t even proper buildings and rooms, he said. Given the fact that Medchal is currently seeing the second highest caseload in Telangana, these inadequacies are crucial. “We have made a representation to the Collector and hope changes are made immediately,” he said.