CSOs inspect 'ill staffed' District Hospital at Kangpokpi
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, July 13 2022: Amid the surge in Covid infection, the District Hospital Kangpokpi is overflowing with patients mostly children down with high fever, typhoid, and other cases.

As patients pour into the hospital, it is grappling with staff shortages keeping the hospital authority, the civil society organizations, and the patient's parties on tenterhooks.

Over the past few weeks, patients mostly children with high fever, typhoid, throat pain, cough, and other cases are overflowing the District Hospital, and no more beds are available at present while some have even adjusted in the emergency room and other available spaces.

Many patients were referred to other health centres including Kangpokpi Christian Hospital (Mission Hospital) while some were compelled to return for home treatment.

CSOs inspect 'ill staffed' District Hospital at Kangpokpi

Concerning the alarming situation, representatives of CSOs of Kangpokpi including KSO Sadar, and TSA Sadar Hills led by Thangminlen Kipgen, vice president Kuki Inpi Kangpokpi visited the District Hospital and met the hospital authority to take stock of the situation.

While talking with the Medical Superintendent of the District Hospital, it came to light that the hospital authority has been grappling with staff shortages since long despite repeated appeals to the authorities concerned.

As per MGEL sanctioned post, there should be 14 staff nurses but surprisingly only 4 staff nurses are posted at present of which one has been posted at PHSC Parsain under PHC Kalapahar as CHO under NHM.

Apart from shortages of staff nurses, out of 3 sanctioned LDC posts, none are posted at the hospital presently, and one ambulance driver is posted out of 2 sanctioned posts.

There is also no Chowkidar despite one sanctioned post, and only one sweeper is available despite two sanctioned posts while only one Grave-IV is available despite three sanctioned posts.

The Chief Medical Officer Kangpokpi recently wrote again to the Director of Health Services, stating that the District Hospital/CHC Kangpokpi, despite being a referral centre for other PHCs/PHSCs/HWCs of the district has been facing immense inconvenience in discharging good quality healthcare services to the public owing to lack of manpower and requested the Health Director to post adequate health staff.

The CSOs team also visited the overflowing patients at the hospital accompanied by Dr Paotinlal Haokip, Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Kangpokpi.

After taking stock of the situation, Thangminlen Kipgen, vice president, Kuki Inpi Kangpokpi said that apart from the acute shortages of manpower especially staff nurses in the hospital as highlighted by the hospital authority, there are also many shortages in infrastructure in the hospital.

He continued that not a single functional fan is available in all the wards during the scorching summer.

A non-functioning toilet in the hospital is also one major concern that needs to be urgently addressed, he added.

The lives of many people are at stake as the district hospital authority is grappling with staff shortage amid the surging number of patients at the hospital with various cases, he said.

He then appealed to the Health Minister and other authorities concerned to expedite the request of the hospital authority.

The CSO leaders also met the Deputy Commissioner Kangpokpi and put up the acute shortage of staff in the District Hospital and various other issues which the DC assured to look into after due consultation with the Chief Medical Officer.