Staff crunch: Good salary offer fails to attract doctors during Covid times

Experts have been warning that the next big challenge, in managing the Covid crisis, which would prolong beyond the second wave, would be availability of healthcare professionals.

The problem is already evident in a few hospitals in Mysuru city. The Central Hospital for Beedi Workers on Mahadevapura Main Road in Mysuru, with a capacity of 150 beds, including 52 oxygenated beds, has ten doctors for treating Covid patients, but only three of them are Allopathy (MBBS) doctors.

The remaining are Ayurveda doctors (Ayush, BAMS). The hospital is not getting doctors despite an offer of Rs 1 lakh, as monthly salary.

Secretary of Mysuru Beedi Workers’ Association K C Showkath Pasha said that the hospital was designated as a Covid hospital, with the efforts of MLA Tanveer Sait, during the first wave of the pandemic. “Since the second wave started, the district administration and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) have been taking several steps, to make it fully functional. However, not more than 50 patients, including around 30 on oxygenated beds, are accommodated, so far. The reasons are lack of healthcare professionals and limited supply of oxygen,” he said.

Pasha said that the intention to convert the Central Hospital for Beedi Workers into a Covid Hospital is to reduce the pressure on the hospitals in the central business district (CBD) of Mysuru. “If this becomes fully functional, people of Narasimharaja Assembly constituency can be treated in their own locality. Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri has offered to pay salaries up to Rs 1 lakh, to the doctors, mobilising funds from the MCC and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA),” he said.

Dr Syed Munavar, nodal officer of the hospital, said, “The hospital needs at least 15 doctors and 25 staff nurses, besides other paramedical staff, to function to full capacity. At present, out of 10 doctors, only three are Allopathy doctors. The MCC has taken steps to depute four more doctors. Shortly, we hope to make the hospital functional completely,” he said.

Earlier, speaking to DH, District Health Officer Dr T Amarnath said that he posted over 20 doctors to the Central Hospital for Beedi Workers, since it was made a Covid hospital. “Not many MBBS doctors are appearing for the interview. Even the BAMS doctors, who have received the appointment orders, have not reported to work. However, still we are trying to get suitable doctors for the particular hospital,” he said.