Govt health centres in line for face lift
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 05 2012:
Directorate of Health Services, Manipur has drawn up a plan to withdraw doctors from Government hospitals and subsidiary health centres located within or close to Imphal area and post them at health centres in the periphery.
According to a reliable source in the Directorate, doctors currently posted at district hospitals and primary health centres located within 7 kilometres from the twin capital districts would be posted/transferred to health centres in the periphery areas.
The shuffling of doctors would be effected from medical centres where presence of the doctors is commensurate with the prescribed strength, said the source and explained that the latest move is to ensure presence of medical practitioners at medical centres which are located within the 7-20 kilometres range from the capital.
Stating that medical centres within the range of 7 kms from Imphal have sufficient number of doctors, the source confided that concentration of doctors close to Imphal areas is due to lobbying and preference by doctors of the valley area to remain close to their homes.
Significantly most of the doctors hailing from the hill districts too prefer posting at medical centres in Imphal area with personal convenience being the obvious reason, opined the source.
Elaborating further, the source said that a senior Cabinet Minister in the present Government submitted a list of 35 doctors hailing from Tamenglong district with the proposal to the Health Directorate that the said doctors be posted at medical centres of the district but close to their respective homes.
Inspite of undertaking relevant processes for effecting their transfer/posting to Tamenglong district medical centres some of these doctors lobbied with influential individuals, including politicians, to abort the transfer procedures, disclosed the source while adding that even though about half the enlisted doctors have already been posted to Tamenglong district half of them managed to retain their posting at Imphal areas.
Stating that owing to such interferences efforts to ensure adequate strength of doctors in other districts, particularly hill areas, frequently get derailed, the source revealed that the senior cabinet Minister has already been apprised about the intense lobbying and interference that ultimately foiled the transfer/posting procedures.
Apart from shortage of doctors in the hill districts and remote corners of the valley pockets, similar problem also currently prevails at health centres located in the periphery of the State capital for about 60 doctors under the Directorate of Health Services, Manipur are currently pursuing PG courses or have gone for further training, informed the source.
It is also informed that relevant measures have already been taken to ensure presence of atleast one doctor at medical centres in the periphery area where there is none, post no less than two doctors at medical centres whose prescribed strength is three to four doctors.
Consequent to the said move some doctors at the disposal of Chief Medical Officers of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur district will have to be withdrawn, added the source.
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