Hyderabad: A suo motu PIL taken up by the Telangana Excessive Court docket over the loss of life of a girl and her new child youngster, after the pregnant lady was compelled to journey 124 kilometres whereas in labour, served to focus on the dearth of infrastructure in peripheral well being centres.
The lady, 24-year-old Charagonda Swarna, approached a main well being centre (PHC) in Padara of Nagarkurnool district on the night time of December 27, 2022, from the place she was moved to authorities hospitals in Amrabad, Achampet, Nagarkurnool and at last Mahbubnagar, the place she delivered the infant. However each mom and youngster died.
The court docket, within the PIL, recognized the dearth of infrastructure in peripheries to take care of sufferers in severe situation, and the dearth of operation theatres and specialist medical doctors because the causes for the incident.
As per the Rural Well being Statistics 2020-21 report, the variety of group well being centres (CHCs) and PHCs within the state are 53 per cent and 12 per cent fewer, respectively, than the required numbers. The report additionally highlighted a scarcity of 53 surgeons, 74 lab technicians and 279 pharmacists for PHCs and CHCs.
One other occasion of the shortfall within the variety of well being centres was seen in a reply to an RTI, which acknowledged that solely 72 staffers have been out there towards a sanctioned energy of 258 on the Narayanpet District Hospital.
The RTI reply acknowledged that because the formation of Naraynpet district in 2019, CHCs have been sanctioned at Maddur and Kosgi the identical 12 months, however they’re nonetheless beneath development, whereas at Makthal, officers transformed a district hospital to a medical school, with out finishing the development of a CHC to serve in its place.
Dr Ok. Mahesh Kumar, president of the Healthcare Reforms Medical doctors Affiliation (HRDA), stated that the incident in query clearly confirmed the lapses in main healthcare in Telangana. The HRDA has been demanding the well being division focus extra on bettering main healthcare, quite than specializing in secondary or tertiary care centres.
The shortage of specialist medical doctors at rural well being centres can also be as a result of many medical doctors are hesitant to work at these centres. A health care provider from a authorities hospital in Hyderabad stated the federal government ought to present some incentive for medical doctors to work in far-flung areas, as with out them, most medical doctors would select to work in larger cities and cities.
As per Rural Well being Statistics 2020-21 report
Scarcity of CHCs in TS: 53%
Scarcity of PHCs: 12%
Scarcity of surgeons: 53
Scarcity of lab technicians: 74
Scarcity of pharmacists: 279
