The healthcare system of Chhattisgarh after formation of the State is now in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to acute shortage of specialists, resident doctors and paramedical staff including nurses, Bollywood-star-turned politician and Chief of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) Raj Babbar said on Saturday.
The posts of specialists, resident doctors and paramedical staff including nurses are lying vacant in six medical colleges, he said while addressing press conference at Rajiv Bhawan here.
He said that the total sanctioned post for specialist doctors is 893 specialist out of which only 53 have been filled whereas the sanctioned strength of resident doctors in six medical colleges is 1379 where there are 517 vacancies.
“Similar is the case with vacancies for nurses where the requirement is of 4362 out of which 1760 posts have only been filled. Similarly, in six medical colleges around 631 posts are lying vacant”, Babbar said.
Citing a report on health services, he said that out of 21 states, Chhattisgarh is placed in 20th position. The Government is pushing ahead with agenda of privatisation of health services.
Babbar, further pointed out Sickle Cell Unit has been opened but it is only functional with 25 persons instead of requirement of 180 persons as per sanctioned posts.
He said that had all these vacant seats had been filled, it would have provided employment to local youth.
Babbar mentioned the Supebeda (Gariaband district) kidney ailment related deaths, blindness after cataract operation, deaths of women after sterilisation operations and other incidents to make his point.
On Naxalism, he said, with gun battle from both sides nothing can be resolved. When their (tribals )basic rights are being denied, then the tribal youth had been fighting and they are ready to die. The killings from both sides will not resolve the issue.
“So, the questions raised by them (Maoists) have to be addressed and they should be brought back to mainstream after resolving the queries raised by them”, Babbar said.