A shortage of paediatricians at Dharmanagar District Hospital for a prolonged period has reportedly caused significant hardship for child patients and their families, raising concerns over the quality and availability of paediatric healthcare services.
According to complaints from patients’ families, paediatric services at the hospital are currently being managed with the help of a single postgraduate doctor. The shortage of doctors is also reportedly creating difficulties in referring critically ill children to higher medical centres for advanced treatment.
A similar situation was reportedly faced by a child’s family on Tuesday. After bringing the child to the hospital and enquiring about the availability of a doctor, the family was allegedly informed that the concerned doctor had been referred to Agartala and was currently on leave.
The situation has increased anxiety among parents regarding the availability of treatment for children at the district hospital. Some parents are reportedly even reluctant to bring their children to the hospital for treatment, resulting in the paediatric ward remaining largely empty.
Patients and their family members have demanded the immediate appointment of full-time paediatricians at the hospital and urged the authorities to restore normal paediatric services at the earliest.
They have also called for prompt intervention by the Health department to address the shortage and ensure uninterrupted medical care for children at Dharmanagar District Hospital.