RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: A severe shortage of specialist doctors is affecting healthcare services at several area hospitals in West Godavari district, causing inconvenience to patients and increasing the workload on available medical staff.
With private treatment proving expensive, poor and middle-class patients largely depend on government hospitals for affordable healthcare.
At the Narasapuram Area Hospital, around 400 to 450 patients visit the facility every day. Of the three sanctioned gynaecology posts, only one doctor is available. The posts of Resident Medical Officer (RMO) and senior general surgeon are vacant, while the radiologist has been on leave for the past seven months. Shortages have also been reported in neonatal and non-communicable disease departments.
The hospital caters to a large number of pregnant women and postpartum mothers from Narasapuram constituency and coastal villages in neighbouring Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, NTR and Krishna districts.
The shortage of doctors and staff is causing difficulties for patients and may result in postponement of some surgeries.
The Tadepalligudem Area Hospital is also functioning with vacancies in the posts of MBBS general duty doctor, paediatrician and radiologist. At the Bhimavaram Area Hospital, more than 350 outpatients visit daily. Two general medicine doctors are unavailable and the RMO post is vacant. The hospital also lacks a cardiologist.
West Godavari Area Hospitals Coordinator P Suryanarayana said the issue of the vacancies had already been brought to the notice of the government and steps would be taken to fill the posts.
MLA P Ramanjaneyulu said he had highlighted in the Assembly the need to upgrade infrastructure and appoint specialists and other staff in government hospitals in the district. The state government had taken note of the issue and was making arrangements to release funds for improving amenities and filling specialist posts in all hospitals shortly.
