MOHAMMAD LATEEF
Pattan, April 23: The Community Health Centre (CHC) Pattan is facing a severe shortage of medical staff and essential facilities, leaving patients in distress and struggling to access timely treatment.For years, several key specialist posts at the hospital have remained vacant, including those of Consultant Surgery, Consultant Anesthesia, and Consultant Pediatrics. The situation has further deteriorated after the transfer of existing doctors, with no replacements appointed so far. This has placed a heavy burden on the already stretched healthcare system in the area.
The shortage is not limited to specialist doctors. The hospital is also grappling with a lack of paramedical staff. Important positions lying vacant include three pharmacists, two head pharmacists, one supervisor, a senior X-ray technician, a junior X-ray technician, and a basic health worker. The absence of adequate support staff has compounded the challenges faced by both patients and the available medical personnel.
In addition, two Medical Officer posts at Palhalan and Gund Khawaja Qasim have remained unfilled following transfers, leaving these adjoining areas without adequate medical coverage.
Despite having seven surgeons, including four from the gynecology department, the hospital has only one anesthesiologist. This imbalance has drastically reduced the number of surgeries being conducted. Locals point out that other hospitals have multiple anesthesia specialists and suggest that some could be deputed to Pattan to ease the crisis, but no such measures have been taken so far.
The hospital’s location along the busy National Highway-1—an accident-prone stretch—makes the lack of emergency and surgical support even more concerning. In critical situations, patients often face delays due to inadequate staffing and limited resources.
Adding to the woes, a dialysis centre set up at the hospital remains non-functional due to the absence of a proper water supply and a trained dialysis technician, depriving patients of a crucial life-saving service.
Residents of Pattan have urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Health Minister Sakeena Itoo, and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to personally intervene and address the pressing issues at the earliest to restore effective healthcare services at the facility.
