Ludhiana civil hospital to get more doctors in 20 days, says health minister
The health department has been suffering from a severe shortage of doctors; as much as 44% doctors’ posts lie vacant in Ludhiana district
The civil hospital here will soon have its vacant posts of doctors filled, health minister Dr Balbir Singh announced on Monday. The health department had started recruitment for 400 posts of doctors earlier this year. These doctors will join the workforce in around 20 days, the minister said.
“We are in process of increasing the staff strength keeping in view the patients’ rush. In a step towards this, the first batch of newly recruited doctors will be sent to the district hospitals to fill the vacant posts,” he said.
The health department has been suffering from a severe shortage of doctors. As much as 44% doctors’ posts lie vacant in the district. At the civil hospital, there are only three emergency medical officers (EMOs) against a sanctioned strength of 15. To meet the patient rush, many specialists are deputed to other duties, according to officials.
Senior medical officer Dr Harpreet Singh said, “The health minister particularly mentioned that the posts of pathologists, forensic expert, surgeon, etc, would be filled with the incoming doctors.”
Civil surgeon Dr Pardeep Mohindra said, “With more doctors, we’ll be able to serve the people better. This will ease the burden and doctors who have to look after other duties due to shortage will now be able to focus on their specialised fields.”
Upgradate work by January
Replying to questions on as to when will the ongoing upgradation work at the civil hospital complete, the health minister said the work would be completed by January. “Transformed into a state-of-the-art medical facility, it will be innaugurated by March which will offer services comparable to private corporate hospitals,” he said.
The aim is to equip civil hospitals in all districts with essential equipment and other facilities, he said.
Training for 20 lakh students
The minister also announced that the health department would train two million students from schools and colleges, starting next year, to ensure that every Class XII student or graduate is equipped with knowledge in detecting dengue larvae and providing first aid to those in need. During a review meeting on vector-borne diseases at the civil hospital, the minister highlighted the significant impact of community involvement and the participation of nursing students in the Punjab government’s anti-dengue initiative, which has led to a 70% decrease in dengue cases this year.
Discussions are on-going with medical colleges and other nursing institutions to collaborate on training approximately 50,000 medical or nursing students, focusing on the early detection of lifestyle disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and strokes—all of which are classified as non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The minister emphasised that early detection of NCDs will help reveal which areas in the state are facing specific health challenges.
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