Irfan Tramboo

Feeble healthcare: Shortage of Nursing staff hits operations in govt hospitals

Feeble healthcare: Shortage of Nursing staff hits operations in govt hospitals
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Srinagar: The healthcare system in Jammu and Kashmir may have little to rejoice amid ‘severe’ shortage of nursing staff and on top of it the ‘spine-breaking’ workload which the public health care system is currently struggling with.

As per figures available with Kashmir Vision, the total number of staff nurses required as per Indian Public Health Services (IPHS) norms is 3193, but the Health Department has failed even in following the prescribed norms—sanctioning only 1290 posts—which is 60 per cent less than what is required.

Further, out of 1290 sanctioned posts, only, the figures reveal, 857 are in position, taking the deficiency even more up. With 60 per cent deficiency already stalling the system, the shortfall has shot up further as a shortfall of 433 posts has made things worse.

“With there being a deficiency in case sanctioned posts, there is also a shortfall of 1903 posts as per the set IPHS norms,” said an official.

No matter there have been expansions, upgradations in the healthcare infrastructure lately, but so far, there has been meager attention paid for addressing the shortage that is felt in case of the nursing staff, the absence, or shortage of which, for that matter, can prove detrimental for the patient care amid colossal public expectations.

On the other side, what is interesting to observe, is that there are 7456 posts of paramedics required as per the IPHS norms, and the number of sanctioned posts are almost equivalent to the requirement, 7357, the number of posts in position is 6037.

In the case of paramedics, there is a need, as per figures, to fill the vacant posts of 1320 paramedics, however, there is a need of creating more 99 posts as per IPHS guidelines.

 

It has been observed that the existing sanctioned staff strength, even after all the vacancies of the department are filled up by the concerned recruitment agencies, is barely sufficient to run the health institutions in view of the sustained increase of patient flow across the state

“We are facing a severe shortfall of Nursing Staff. Against a requirement of 3193 Nurses as per the IPHS Norms, there are only 1290 sanctioned posts of Staff nurses in the J&K state with a deficit of 1903 posts which need to be created,” the officials said.

“The proposals have been submitted to the Finance Department and in certain cases, the posts that are to be filled have been referred to the recruiting agency, we are on it,” the official added.

 

THE WORKLOAD

While there is a shortfall of staff nurses in the state, the work-done output is telling altogether a different story, revealing the workload which is taking a toll on the existing manpower which is catering to the huge needs of the population.

The picture gets clear by the figures provided by the Department of Health and Medical Education, the total number of deliveries carried out in public health care, during the year 2017-18 until the end of January, 2018 were recorded as 134947, while as 8.69 per cent of deliveries were taken care of by private hospitals with the number being 11732 deliveries.

For the same year, the total number of inpatients that were taken care of by the public health was 836218 and 20325 by the private hospitals, making it only 2.43 per cent of the total.

In the year, 2016-17, the total number of patients that were taken care of in the IPDs of public health was 988430. The number was only 22358, making it 2.26 per cent of the total which was taken care of by the private sector.

The Manpower Audit report that was carried out by the Department of Health and Medical Education has also observed that the existing manpower was not sufficient to cater to the huge needs in the public health sector.

“It has been observed that the existing sanctioned staff strength, even after all the vacancies of the department are filled up by the concerned recruitment agencies, is barely sufficient to run the health institutions in view of the sustained increase of patient flow across the state,” the report observes.


Irfan Tramboo

Irfan Tramboo is a reporter and covers education and health and can be contacted [email protected]

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