Over 55 per cent of posts for medical officers are vacant in Gujarat, say sources.
12 people died due to swine flu in Gujarat today, taking the death toll to 219 since January, according to an official statement. Gujarat has been battling with swine flu, with over 3,000 cases recorded since the beginning of the year.
Nearly 230 cases of swine flu were recorded just today in Gujarat, among them the Minister of State for Health Shanker Chaudhary. Just three days ago, Gujarat Assembly Speaker Ganpat Vasava too had tested positive for swine flu.
The Gujarat government's response, or the lack of it, to tackle the surge of swine flu, has come under the scanner now. And despite the government's assurance that there was no shortage of doctors, government figures reveal a different situation.
Government records show that the state government has been dithering on filling up vacant slots of medical officers in the state. Over 55 per cent of posts for medical officers are vacant in the state and almost 65 per cent of post meant for MD level class 1 medical officers are lying vacant, sources in the health department have revealed.
Kutch, one of the worst affected districts, has only 33 medical officers as against the sanctioned strength of 96. Even the civil hospital at Ahmedabad, one of the biggest hospitals in Gujarat, has a 40 per cent shortage of doctors.
With no let-up in swine flu fatalities, the government has now come under fire from the opposition. On the first day of the budget session of the assembly, the opposition alleged that the government had failed to tackle the surge since there was shortage of doctors and medicines.
"The situation in district hospitals and smaller PHCs is bad... Kutch was worse affected because doctors who could timely diagnose and treat were short in numbers," alleged Congress spokesman, Shaktisinh Gohil.
The health minister Nitin Patel, however, told the house that the government was taking all steps and there was no shortage. "There is an attempt to politicise the issue. We have initiated the best efforts," claimed Mr Patel, though he refused to speak on the issue of the shortage of doctors.