BAHAWALPUR:
Health department policies are being blamed for an acute shortage of doctors in rural Bahawalpur, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The district is short of 86 doctors. The problem is particularly grave at basic health units and rural health centres. Sources in the Health Department say this is partly due to a policy under which medical officers serving at Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) in Bahawalpur are being granted a hard area allowance of Rs15,000 per month for eight hours of duty while medical officers serving in rural areas, including the Cholistan desert, are not.
Doctors posted to BVH are thus being paid Rs50-60,000 per month and their colleagues posted to rural health centres Rs35-50,000 per month.
Only 39 doctors are now serving in 83 basic health units meant to serve Bahawalpur district’s 1.7 million rural population.
While 20 positions are vacant, 24 are held by doctors pursuing post-graduate studies. The 24 are working at various teaching hospitals in the province; six of them at Nishtar College Multan, one in King Edward Medical University Lahore, one in Mayo Hospital and 16 working in BVH Bahawalpur.
The policy has resulted in shortage of staff at all health institutions in Bahawalpur district, except BVH. Out of 43 posts in THQ hospitals for specialist doctors, 21 are empty. Similarly, out of 200 posts for doctors, 65 are empty. Additionally the posts of 47 nurses and 122 paramedics are vacant.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2012.
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This is due to poor policies. No drinking water, chairs in office, electricity in BHUs.