Shortage of gynaecologists plagues Area Hospital

​Kamareddy: At a time when the government is insisting on the promotion of institutional deliveries in government run hospitals, the terrific shortage of gynaecologists is defeating the very purpose of the campaign.

The Government Area Hospital in the district is working against odds in conducting delivery cases. Against the requirement of five gynecologists, in fact, there is only one gynaecologist in the hospital. Death of an expectant mother and three neonatal babies was reported from the area hospital here in the last fifteen days and it was attributed to shortage of gynaecologists.

Not only did the Area Hospital face shortage of staff, elsewhere also in the district, all the government hospitals are understaffed though the number of delivery cases is increasing with each passing day giving a hard time to the expectant mothers.

It could be described as a dangerous signal that in a span of 15 days, an expectant mother and three just born babies died in the district area hospital here.

Elsewhere in Annaram, an expectant mother Borra Renuka of the village died due to lack of timely medical assistance at the primary health center. In another case, an expectant mother Bhagyalakshmi died at the primary health center in Bikkanuru.

In the absence of doctors, medical staff conducted the child birth leading to death of the woman. Such incidents are not new to Area Hospitals and primary health centers in the district. The people are incensed at the poor response from the officials over such incidents.

It is reported that expectant mothers are hesitating to undergo institutional deliveries in government hospitals. That is why, the government programme like ‘Ammavodi’ received a poor response. For the population of 9,73,227 in the district there are two Area Hospitals, 19 Primary Health Centers and 52 medical officers.

In spite of increasing delivery cases, the Kamareddy Area Hospital has only one gynaecologist to take up the cases. There are only two pediatricians against the requirement of four. There are two anaesthetists only as against the needed four.

Hospital superintendent Ajay Kumar said that there is only one gynaecologist in the hospital. He says, “Irate crowd behavior in case of death of patients is causing them considerable heart burn. The expectant mothers are consulting private doctors and visiting the government hospital here for delivery.”

That is why, he said, the hospital is not able to render full justice to the expectant mothers. The hospital requires five gynaecologists additionally to render justice to all cases. When the matter was referred to District Collector Dr N Satyanarayana, he conducted a meeting with private medical doctors to find a solution to the shortage of staff.

The private medical officers agreed to work in the Area Hospital here during afternoons. But, a majority of the delivery cases are attended to either in the morning or at night. However, it is the private hospitals which are the ultimate beneficiaries due to the shortage of medical staff in government hospitals.