Staff shortage hits patient care at Adoor General Hospital

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. An acute mismatch between rising patient numbers and available manpower has raised serious concerns over healthcare delivery at Adoor General Hospital, one of the busiest government hospitals in the district. The hospital receives around 1,800 outpatients every day and performs a large number of surgeries in orthopaedics, general surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology and ENT. However, despite the heavy patient load, it continues to function with the staff pattern of a taluk hospital, according to the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA). The association said several sanctioned posts, including those of consultant anaesthetist, consultant orthopaedician and casualty medical officers, have remained vacant for months. The staff shortage has placed enormous pressure on the existing workforce and affected the delivery of healthcare services, it alleged. Orthopaedic services have also come under strain, with only one doctor currently serving in the department. The long vacant consultant orthopaedician post has affected both outpatient services and surgeries, while the long standing public demand for a trauma care facility remains unaddressed. Official sources also pointed out that the hospital does not have a forensic surgeon, which has forced families to shift bodies to other hospitals for post mortem examinations. The KGMOA has also linked the staff shortage to the increasing instances of violence against healthcare workers. It cited an incident on June 14 in which a group allegedly created a tense situation in the casualty department after doctors referred a patient with a serious hand injury to a medical college for specialised treatment. The association alleged that a local councillor led the confrontation and claimed that police failed to take timely action despite being informed. The association further criticised the authorities for terminating the services of a doctor appointed to strengthen emergency, general outpatient and evening outpatient services,