BANGALORE: Soon, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) maternity and referral hospitals will be open 24 hours a day. Presently, the Palike has 94 hospitals under its belt. These include 24 maternity homes, six referral hospitals, 19 urban family welfare centres, 16 dispensaries and 29 health centres.
Palike has now proposed to extend the services at all 24 maternity homes and six referral hospitals, 24-hours a day. Geetha Shashikumar, chairperson, Standing Committee (Health), confirmed that such a plan was proposed. However, inadequate staff including gynaecologists is the major hindrance to proceed with the plan. Due to shortage of gynaecologists, only normal delivery cases are attended. Whereas C-section cases, after 4 pm, are referred to Vani Vilas, Bowring and other surrounding government hospitals.
To overcome the staff crunch, Palike has now approached the KPSC to recruit more gynaecologists. “There are 17 gynaecologists posts in BBMP, of which 10 are working. We have written to the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) to recruit more doctors,” official sources said.
Apart from this, as per Karnataka Health System Development and Reform Project (KHSDRP) guidelines, Palike had called for applications to fill up 36 gynaecologist posts. “So far only 20 doctors have been recruited. Though many gynaecologists were appointed, they have quit,” official said. BBMP has asked the KPSC to recruit two anaesthetists and one pediatrician, to fill the vacant posts. Sources said that after the recruitment process was completed, Palike’s maternity hospitals and referral hospitals would work round the clock and attend both normal and C-section cases at any time of the day.