Chamarajanagar: Due to lack of paramedical staff, it has become difficult for Chamarajanagar district health department to create various awareness programs to prevent communicable and water borne diseases including dengue, chikungunya, malaria and typhoid.
This is the time where awareness programmes need to be conducted for the benefit of public but unfortunately, the much needed paramedical staff who play an important role in creating such awareness programmes are lacking at the district health department in Chamarajanagar. Usually most of the government related awareness programs are implemented by the paramedical staff who will have the basic knowledge and it will also be easy for doctors to explain them about various programs. Though the sanctioned paramedical staff is 258 in the district, just 144 are found working and 114 posts are vacant from nearly a year. Though it was brought to almost everyone’s attention, no action has been taken to fill up the much needed posts resulting in problem to implement or create various programs.
Speaking to Newskarnataka.com Dr Panduvijayan, District Health Officer, Chamarajanagar district said “Due to lack of paramedical staff members we are making use of Asha and Anganawadi workers. But usually most of the programs including immunization programs are implemented through paramedical staff members. They are skilled and hence we were not finding it difficult to implement any program. But it’s not the same now, as we need to tell from the scratch to asha and anganawadi workers. The sanctioned paramedical staff post is 258 but as of now 144 are working. If these posts are filled it will be very handy for us to implement and create various awareness programs. There are 60 PHCs, 3 taluk hospitals and equal number of Community Health Centres.
Apart from vacant paramedical staff personnel, CMO and Physician posts are vacant at Kollegal Taluk. At Yellandur and Gundulpet Taluk, Pediatrician and Ophthalmologist posts are vacant.
Only four attend the interview for General Duty Medical Officer posts
Though the department advertised for walk-in interview for 10 General Duty Medical Officer posts, only 4 doctors turned up for the interview. According to sources, those who attend the interview demand to be posted in their choice of locations. If not, they too go back. It has become difficult for health department to get the doctors to work in government health department. After getting selected, the doctors are paid Rs 42,000 per month and they should be available almost round the clock. Most of the medical professionals avoid working in government health department.