Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took top Health Department officials to task over slackness in achieving the objective of National Health Mission which is reflected in lack of specialised doctors and inadequate installation of MRI and dialysis machines in taluk and district hospitals.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, who pointed out such shortcomings at a review meeting of the Health Department, set a deadline of three months for setting right the anomalies.
“How is it possible to provide good health care to poor people if special services like MRI scanning and dialysis are not provided in taluk and district government hospitals?” he asked. “I will review the progress again in three months. The health officials will be held responsible if the situation does not improve by then,” he said.
Necessary steps should be taken to strengthen the health system through National Health Mission, he said, while pointing out that under this scheme, there is 52% shortage of specialist doctors, 31% shortage of MBBS doctors, and 18% shortage of nursing staff. He also instructed the officers to look into the demand for increasing their salaries and filling vacant posts.
The Chief Minister also assured the officials that the Managing Director for the corporation concerned would be given a minimum tenure of two years so that he could work effectively. His assurance comes in the wake of submission by officials that the last one year period during the earlier regime saw five MDs.
Pointing out that doctors were not residing in the hostels built for them in rural areas, he asked the Commissioner to ensure that they stay in the hostels.
