Jammu, Oct 11: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the Government to ensure quality Medicare delivery system in the state, the chronic problem of shortage of para-medical staff continues to cast a shadow on health sector in Jammu and Kashmir -- the reason being that the government has failed to fill thousands of posts laying vacant across the state health institutions for over a decade now.
 It is not only critical areas which face shortage of manpower in the state, but even the routine patient care is suffering in absence of needed paramedical staff.
 According to the official sources, acute shortfall of staff at the twin premier health institutions of Jammu, the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital Jammu  and SMGS hospital has already stressed out the nurses and other ancillary staff as they have to cope with about twenty times more patients against the number fixed under national norms.
 They said that at the 850 bedded GMC hospital, there are only 220 nurses and other paramedical staff including those on contract services, while at SMGS hospital, for 570 beds there are only 118 nursing staff to look after the patients.
 As per the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, there should be one nurse per seven beds, but at these twin premier hospitals one nurse has to attend the entire ward, which has cast its adverse affect on the patient care. Sources said that the increasing shortage of staff in because of the fact that no fresh recruitment of nurses and other paramedical staff has not been made in the state for the past over a decade.
 “Most of the staff members are working under stress and in many wards only one nurse look after the patients. The shortage is a big problem here”, said Pardeep Sharma, president of Medical Employees Union. 
 While the government has added new infrastructure in the medical sector and district hospitals are being upgraded, it will be difficult to run these smoothly in absence of required facilities, he added.
 “The new units cannot be made functional with the present strength of manpower. It will further strain the employees”, said a senior doctor.
 Sources said that according to the set norms in ICU and CCU there shall be one nurse for each bed to provide proper care to the patients with critical conditions, but in Jammu sometimes it is difficult to find the nurse.
 In many units the hospital administration is seeking the services of the consolidated and contractual employees who are paid a meager salary of Rs 1500 to Rs 2500 per month.
 Even patients complain of the staff shortage. “The problem is more acute during the nights as it is very difficult to find the paramedics and nurses in case of emergency attendants have to move from one section to another in search of them”, said Radho Devi, at GMC.
 While admitting that there was shortage of paramedics, Minister for Medical Education, R.S Chib said, “Staff shortage is a problem. Process has been started in to fill the vacant posts. The entire process will be completed by end of 2012”.
 Pertinently, on an average 3,097 persons depend upon one health institution in JK as against 2,662 in 2000-01. Acute dearth of manpower and resources add to the miseries  of people. “State does not have enough financial resources to bear the cost of  engaging new doctors so they are waiting for centre to take the burden,  thus delaying the process,” said an official.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST