War against COVID-19 on, but with few hands on deck
Posts lie vacant across government, private hospitals; healthcare workers resign, skip work.
Published: 10th July 2020 06:14 AM | Last Updated: 10th July 2020 12:02 PM | A+A A-
An ambulance driver starts duty in Bengaluru. (Photo |EPS)
It seems Karnataka is at war against COVID-19 without an adequate number of commanders and foot soldiers, or so official figures show. The State lacks enough frontline health workers — doctors, nurses, lab technicians, ward boys and ayahs — in both private and government sectors.
As per Health and Family Welfare department data, there are 26,265 vacancies of a total of 58,961 sanctioned posts. District hospitals have 3,227 vacancies, taluk hospitals have 5,853 vacancies, 4,061 posts are vacant in Community Health Centres, and 11,854 in Primary Health Centres.
The largest number of vacancies within the State health department seem to be in Group C (10,025) and Group D (12,054) categories of staffers, which include lab technicians, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, clerical staff, janitors, attendants and ambulance drivers.
“There were vacancies prior to the pandemic as well, but due to fear, people are refusing to come in to work, or resigning. With COVID Care Centres being set up, we are struggling to mobilise manpower. We are requesting dentists and Ayurveda doctors to step in as they study common subjects in the MBBS course,” said a health department source. However, despite these requests and pleas, there has been poor response, the source added.
The shortage in Group C and Group D categories is not exclusive to the government set-up. Dr R Ravindra, president, Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Association, said smaller hospitals have over 50 per cent shortage of nurses, ward boys and ayahs.
“When a private hospital in KR Puram decided to open its doors to COVID patients, doctors began to resign, saying they have kids at home. In mid-sized and large hospitals, there is a 50 per cent shortage of ward boys, and 30 per cent deficiency in nursing staff. Though their salaries have been doubled, they are not willing to work,” he said. Often, there is pressure at home which acts as a deterrent.
The number of vacant posts of doctors under Group A category at district hospitals, taluk hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres is 3,597. A government hospital doctor in Bengaluru said those aged 50-55 years and above are not assigned COVID ward duty, and this adds to the shortage of manpower, especially with cases spiking.