Health and medical facilities deteriorated at district hospital since 2015: study
Health and medical facilities deteriorated at district hospital since 2015: study
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Feb 9
In a first study of the prevailing situation of health and medical services in Pithoragarh district by a group of young researchers, it has come in light that while the number of patients are increasing in the district hospital, the number of doctors posted in the government run hospital has decreased since 2015 with more and more patients being referred to Haldwani and other bigger cities having better medical facilities.The study of health care conditions in the district hospital was carried by a young researchers group named “Uttarakhand Research Group”.
” We obtained this information by the means of over 300 RTIs that were posted by us in last six months,” said Shivam, coordinator of the group.
According to the fact sheet released by the group today, the OPD of district hospital witnessed increase in the number of patients in last 6 years from 2017 to 2020.” The number of OPD patients that visited the district hospital, was at 122745 in the year 2015 has increased to143676 in 2019,” said Shivam.
According to the researchers group, the number of doctors posted in this hospital has kept on decreasing since the year 2015.” While the annual ratio of doctors and OPD patients was at 5845 patients per doctor in the year 2015, the ratio has gone up in 2017, making the availability of doctors at 8779 patients per doctor,” said Shivam.
The research group also collected data on cases referred to higher centers by doctors from district hospital due to lack of higher medical facilities in the hospital. It was found that while the percentage of referral cases from in patients of the hospital was at 13.32 percent in the year 2016, it increased to 22.95 percent in the year 2020.
” While a total of 1235 patients, out of 9269 admitted patients were referred by doctors of district hospital in the year 2016, the number increased to 1328 referred patients out of 5785 admitted in hospital,” the report said.
The group reiterated that according to Indian public health standards parameters, the referring to higher centers should not be more than 5 percent in a hospital that provides secondary level of medical care in the district.
“The IPHS parameters say that the 85 to 95 percent medical care facilities should be met by secondary level medical centers that is the district hospital.” said Shivam.
The group members said that their research is meant for betterment of the health and medical services of the state at the policy level.
” In our study we have also taken cognizance of NITI Ayog reports on health services available in Uttarakhand and several governmental and non- governmental reports in the subject,” said the coordinator.
The Nainital High court in December 2020 taking suo motu cognisance of the ‘dismal state of health infrastructure’ in the state, had said that it intends to constitute a judicial committee to keep a ‘vigil’ on the medical facilities being provided in all the government hospitals of the state, especially the ones located in the hinterland.
