Urging the government to sanction a government medical college to Dakshina Kannada district and also fill vacant posts lying in the department of health and family welfare, the district unit of DYFI will stage a protest in front of the DC’s office on October 29.
Addressing a press meet here on Saturday, DYFI State President Muneer Katipalla said that the government hospitals, PHCs and community health centres should be strengthened in the state, to offer better health care facilities to the poor.
The government should sanction a medical college to Dakshina Kannada district. “When the government earmarks 2,000 acre land for SEZ, it is a shame that it can not allot 20 acre land for a government medical college in the district. The district has all the eligibility to have a government medical college. Using the services of Wenlock and Lady Goschen Hospitals, the medical college should be started,” he added.
He said “As per the rules, there should be a taluk government hospital in all the taluk headquarter in the State. In Dakshina Kannada, only four taluks have the hospitals. Though the government has sanctioned 161 doctors to Dakshina Kannada district, in reality there are only 103 doctors serving in the PHCs, CHCs, taluk hospitals and district hospitals. The total sanctioned posts in health department is 1,874. However, only 1068 posts have been filled. About 45 per cent of posts are lying vacant in the home district of Health Minister U T Khader,” he said.
According to the available statistics from the department of health and family welfare, the total ‘A’ grade posts sanctioned to the district is 161, of which 58 posts are lying vacant.
This includes two posts of taluk medical officers, one post of TB officer, three post of dentists and 29 posts of specialist doctors. The sanctioned posts of specialist doctors to the district is 59.
The statistics said out of 13 ‘B’ Grade staff sanctioned, five are lying vacant. Out of sanctioned 1,395 posts of ‘C’ grade staff, 558 posts are lying vacant. This includes 21 posts of health educators, 54 senior health assistants, 163 junior health assistants, 44 junior pharmacists, 21 lab technicians and 14 drivers. The sanctioned strength of ‘D’ grade staff is 305 and 185 posts are lying vacant.
Katipalla said that as per the population of the district, there should have been 100 PHCs in the district. However, there are only 70 PHCs. There is shortage of medicines in the district Wenlock hospital.
The district Wenlock hospital has only eight beds in ICU. Poor patients from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Kodagu and Kasargod districts depend on the hospital for health care facilities. In such a scenario, beds in ICU should be increased, he added “Code of Medical Ethics Regulations directs all physicians to clearly display his/her fees and other charges on the board of his clinic. However, the rules are violated by the medical practitioners in the district. Uniform fee should be introduced in the district,” he said.
