Health facilities in Tangdhar battle staff crunch, patient-care hit

Baramulla, Nov 18: The Tangdhar health block is facing a severe staff crunch, particularly in the Sub District Hospital (SDH) Tangdhar, impacting patient care and raising concerns among the local populace.
Despite having nine dental staff positions in the block, including four Dental Surgeons, three Junior Dental Technicians, one Senior Dental Technician, and one

Supervisor Dental Technician, the vacancies prevail.
Notably, one post of Junior Dental Technician is currently under litigation, adding to the complexities.

Also, three Dental Surgeon positions have remained vacant for decades, and the current solitary dental surgeon, a postgraduate with 18 years of service in SDH Tangdhar, has not been transferred despite government circulars addressing the overstays.

The shortage extends beyond dental care, with SDH Tangdhar lacking a full-time anesthetist since the retirement of a local anesthetist two years ago.
Moreover, critical medical specialties, including Pediatrics, ENT, Ophthalmology, and Internal Medicine, are notably absent at SDH Tangdhar, significantly compromising the comprehensive care available to the patients.

Despite persistent public demands for upgrading the hospital to a 100-bed facility, no response has been forthcoming.
Out of 149 sanctioned positions for employees, only 62 are currently in position while 87 posts are unfilled in the block.

In the doctor category, out of 31 sanctioned posts, only 10 are filled, leaving 21 vacant, including 18 Medical Officers and three Dental Surgeons.
Among 118 non-gazetted posts, 52 are occupied, while 66 remain unfilled.

The absence of replacements for retired employees, delayed reliever appointments, and a prolonged lack of recruitment in various positions exacerbate the crisis.
National Health Mission (NHM) employees in Tangdhar endure prolonged service without a clear transfer policy, leading to dejection and stress.

An official said that there was an urgent need for the government to implement fixed tenures, competitive salaries, and benefits for employees in Tangdhar.
The official said that the Director Health Services Kashmir recently visited Tangdhar block to review the medical situation wherein he was apprised by the locals about the dearth of the staff.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kupwara, Dr Ramzan while acknowledging the dearth of staff in Tangdhar block told Greater Kashmir that the matter had been taken up with the higher ups to resolve the issue.

"Basically five orders were issued for posting of doctors in Tangdhar block but no one joined there. We have given the option to the government to post locals in Tangdhar. The proposal is in the pipeline," CMO Kupwara said.

About the non-availability of anesthetists, he said the department was managing it on a rotation basis.

"The government is after it and we are trying to resolve the problem," Dr Ramzan said.

Director Health Service Kashmir Dr Mushtaq Rather said the issue of vacancies in health institutions was a continuous process noting that positions remain vacant at a given point of time.

"This year around 350 people retired and it takes time to fill the vacancies. But we are sending contractual staff wherever we have vacant posts. Our healthcare system is not affected anywhere," he said.