21 lakh people,117 doctors: why queues don’t end at dispensaries

Sample this: In any given dispensary either in rural areas or the urban sector,there are never more than two doctors for an average of 250-350 patients. In fact,in most dispensaries like the civil dispensary in Sector 20,26,doctors are available for only three days in a week.

For the remaining days,the same doctors look after patients in other dispensaries. Such an arrangement has been made as the numbers of dispensaries have increased in the last few years while the number of doctors has decreased with many posts lying vacant due to retirement,repatriation and penalising action in the recent past.

*At the Sector 20 civil dispensary on Friday,the dentist was not present as he was attending to patients in the Sector 8 civil dispensary. Consequently patients who queued up outside his room were left with no choice but to go empty handed. To add to their inconvenience,there was no board outside the room stating on which days the doctor was available.

*Interestingly,the only doctor who had already attended over 100 patients by 12 noon,had come from the civil dispensary in Sector 35,at this dispensary

*There are similar arrangements in almost all the dispensaries including civil dispensary 38,and Dadu Majra,Sector 26.

*At the Sector 19 civil dispensary,the only Anti Rabies clinic in the city – dealing with almost 50-80 cases of dog bites every day – there is only one doctor. The same doctor caters to the dog bites patients as well as general patients. Added to that,the same doctor has to visit the Sector 20 civil dispensary on designated days.

*“On days,when Sector 19 doctor sits here,other than general patients,all the dog bites cases come here in Sector 20 civil dispensary,making it completely chaotic”,said one of staff members at Sector 20 dispensary.

“I had visited the doctor yesterday and he had asked me come today after getting an X-ray done of my tooth. Today I have come with the X ray report but the doctor is not here”,said Om Parkash (name changed) at the Sector 20 civil dispensary. There was a string of patients who had come after Om Parkash to see the doctor but all had to go empty handed.

“The number of doctors has not increased while the number of dispensaries has gone up significantly in the last few years. Now we have to make do with the limited human resources we have. We are pinning our hopes on the recent softened stand of the Punjab government’s health department regarding deputations”,said Dr Rajiv Vadhera,Medical Superintendent of Government Multi Specialty Hospital,Sector 16.

As if this was not enough,the recent shifting of 20 dispensaries to the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has added to the existing woes. These dispensaries,which were earlier under UT health department were transferred to MC along with the staff which included 20 doctors besides other para medical staff. The idea was to make a stop gap arrangement till the MC appoints its own staff. In fact,immediately after the transferring of dispensaries to MC,40 new posts were sanctioned. These included one chief medical officer,deputy chief medical officer,three senior medical officers besides medical officers. Even after six months,the MC has failed to recruit new staff.