Warangal: Staff crunch paralyses healthcare

Warangal: The growing number ofCovid-19 cases and other diseases wax and wane with the season exposes the abysmal state of healthcare – poor infrastructure and staff crunch – in the undivided Warangal district. What that hurts the healthcare most is the headcount of paramedics and lab technicians - in the State-run hospitals against the sanctioned posts.

According to information, more than half of the multipurpose health assistant and lab technician posts are vacant in the composite Warangal district. The multipurpose health assistants and lab technicians play a major role in aiding the medical officers. In fact, it's virtually difficult for the doctors to manage all things in the healthcare centres.

There are just five multipurpose health assistants (male) in the erstwhile district against the sanctioned posts of 327. These apart, the government had engaged around 120 contract employees.

This leaves more than 200 posts vacant. As a result, several primary health centres (PHCs) are without a required number of health assistants. Some PHCs like Vangara (Warangal Urban) and Nekkonda and Alankhanipet (Warangal Rural) don't even have a single health assistant.

Some of the responsibilities of health assistants include collecting blood samples, immunisation and childcare etc In Warangal Urban district, the number of lab technician posts vacant is 10 against the sanctioned posts of 18. As a result, several PHCs failed to conduct the rapid antigen tests though they have been supplied with the kits.

Speaking to The Hans India, Telangana Medical and Health Gazetted Officers Association Warangal District Coordinator B Nehru Chand Naik said: "It's high time for the authorities to fill the vacant health assistant and technician posts. There is a need for regularising the services of contract employees who have been working for about two decades.

Adding more woes to the staff crunch, there are some employees who were posted in rural areas have been working in the city on the pretext of various reasons. Taking advantage of the 'work order', these employees have settled in the city.

Praja Vedika State Convener Tirunahari Seshu demanded the government to lay special focus on healthcare. "In addition to the staff crunch, the State-run hospitals lack infrastructural facilities," he added.