BHAWANIPATNA: Kalahandi has the highest percentage of government health institutes which qualified for Kayakalp awards last year but here’s the irony. The district is far behind when it comes to requisite manpower to render effective heath services.
Despite development of infrastructure and beautification through Kayakalp, the basic need of posting of required number of doctor/ specialists and manpower is lacking which ultimately impacts delivery of health services.
Kayakalp awards are a national initiative under Swachh Bharat programme to promote cleanliness, hygiene and improved quality of services in public health facilities. Apart from the district headquarters hospital, Kalahandi has a sub-divisional hospital, 17 community health centres (CHCs), 45 primary health centres (PHCs), one urban PHC and 241 sub-centres. In 2021-22, the district reached a milestone with record 63 medical facilities receiving the award through efforts of local administration and health officials. The year before, 57 health institutes received the award here.
The achievements notwithstanding, there is a glaring shortage of health staff in the district. Official data says, the district has only 172 doctors against sanctioned 339 posts. This translates to 49 per cent vacancies.
The specialist posts are woefully vacant too. As against 107 sanctioned posts, there are only 37 specialists. The breakup of vacant posts of specialists is further disheartening. As against sanctioned posts of one each in Cardiology, Pulmonology, Skin & VD and Neurology, there is none in the district. In Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 11 out of 24 sanctioned posts are vacant while in paediatrics, there are only nine doctors against 23 sanctioned posts. For Anaesthesia and Radiology, there is one vacancy each against sanctioned posts of three and two respectively.
Similarly, all three specialist posts in pathology are vacant causing problems in diagnosis and the condition is likewise in other departments. There are 90 pharmacists against 112 and 375 staff nurse against sanctioned posts of 441.
The inadequate staff notwithstanding, the district has, somehow, managed to pull off a substantial improvement in immunisation and institutional delivery parameters. Official sources say, there is 91.3 per cent (pc) immunisation coverage and 92.8 pc institutional delivery in the district against 90.5 pc and 92.2 pc, respectively in the State.
There is also substantial improvement in child mortality and maternal mortality rate. The infant mortality rate is 32 in Kalahandi against 38 in the State and the maternal mortality rate is 126 against 150 in the State, according to Health department data.
Chief district medical officer (CDMO) Kasturi Mishra attributed the improvement in health parameters to effective field management and Kayakalp competition but also admitted to the manpower crisis. “Yes, there is an acute shortage of health staff but we are trying to deliver with whatever resources are there at our disposal. Higher authorities have been apprised of the situation,” she said.
