Severe staff crunch at the public healthcare facilities and limited access to COVID-19 testing in the Agency mandals are impeding the efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus in far-flung tribal areas of the district.
The worrying trend of several frontline healthcare workers including doctors contracting the Coronavirus while performing their duty is exacerbating the shortage of medical staff.
Efforts by the district administration to recruit medical officers and other healthcare personnel on contract basis drew a lukewarm response so far.
The staff crunch is leaving the medical staff overburdened. Of the total 65 sanctioned medical officer posts in the public health facilities including 29 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the district, 12 posts are lying vacant, according to sources.
The PHC in Komararam gram panchayat in Yellandu mandal is grappling with severe staff shortage even as the COVID-19 cases continue to swell in the Agency mandal.
The PHC, presently, has only one doctor against the sanctioned strength of two medical officers, one staff nurse against three posts and one pharmacist against two sanctioned posts, sources added.
The Community Health Officer (CHO) post is also lying vacant.
“Our pleas for filling medical officer and other posts in the Komararam PHC went unheeded,” said Komararam MPTC member Ajmeera Bichha.
A resolution seeking immediate filling of posts in the PHC was passed in the Mandal Parishad meeting more than six months ago and the copies of the resolution were submitted to the authorities concerned, but to no avail, the local body elected representative said.
“How can the understaffed PHC cater to needs of more than 27,000 population living in 63 villages?” he asked.
Around 273 COVID-19 cases were reported under the Komararam PHC and seven patients succumbed to coronavirus infection so far, he said, adding that a 60 year old man of Marrigudem died of heart attack minutes after being tested positive for COVID-19 at the PHC building premises over a week ago.
Meanwhile, District Medical and Health Officer Sirisha told The Hindu that the process of recruitment of doctors and nurses on contract basis was presently under way.
Of the 12 vacant medical officer posts, one was filled on Saturday and two were likely to be filled on Monday, she said, adding that homoeopathy doctors were also being allowed to apply for the medical officer posts.
The COVID-19 positivity rate in the district stood at 8.6 % and efforts were under way to identify people suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.
More than 15,000 home kits containing medicines were given to persons identified with COVID-19 symptoms during the household fever survey.
Five medical officers in the district tested positive for COVID-19 recently and are in home quarantine. On an average four to five field level health functionaries are contracting coronavirus during their field visits as part of the door-to-door fever survey.
