Govt to shift doctors from community hospitals to taluk hospitals

BENGALURU: The State Health department plans to reduce the medical services available in community health hospitals. It has planned to send doctors from 270 community health centres across the state to taluk hospitals. Henceforth, paediatricians, obstetricians and anesthesiologists may not be available in community health centres.

Medical services at the community hospitals are available from dawn to dusk and people in rural areas used to benefit a lot. But as fewer deliveries are taking place in community health centres, it has been decided that anesthesiologists, doctors, paediatricians and obstetricians in hospitals where less than 30 deliveries have been made should be sent to taluk hospitals. This decision is being taken to provide 24/7 services to taluk hospitals.

Doctors were posted at community health centers to provide treatment for common ailments at the local level. Shifting of doctors may cause problems, especially in emergencies, as patients will need to go to taluk hospitals, which is likely to be a problem for people in rural areas.

Questions are now being raised as to whether the government is planning to gradually reduce services at community health centres and close them down. There are also concerns about potential service cut off and closures in CHCs.