Hyderabad: Doctors at HIV, Leprosy, TB centres to be transferred to PHCs

Hyderabad: The honeymoon period of some doctors and medical staff who were posted in HIV, Leprosy and TB testing centres etc., will come to an end shortly.

Despite low footfall of patients, these centres have been functioning in all districts for a long time. With little work for majority of the month, the staff just had to bide time thus resulting in wastage of human resources and also public money.

Authorities stated that some doctors tend to lobby for postings in testing centres etc as they do not have much work in office and also, they can focus fully on their private practice. For instance, the monthly expenditure on the health department for running a TB centre in Vikarabad is nearly Rs 2 crore.

However, the department has decided to make effective use of such manpower by posting the additional staff from these centres in PHCs (Primary Health Centres).

It may be mentioned here that a decision was taken to rationalise doctors and medical staff in PHCs in all districts so as to distribute staff equally in all health centres.

While some centres were found to have sufficient staff, some of them were having surplus or deficient staff. While majority PHCs have one or two medical officers depending upon the population in that area, the old PHCs have surplus number of medical officers and in rationalisation process they would have to move to other PHCs.

While most of the PHCs in GHMC limits and districts surrounding have no problem of staff, the ones in districts like Adilabad, Asifabad, Mulugu, Bhadradri, Nagarkurnool etc. were plagued with less staff thus affecting delivery of services to people in those areas.

After Health Minister Eatala Rajender directed the top brass to undertake rationalisation of staff working in PHCs in all districts without reducing the number of PHCs, all DMHOs were asked to submit complete details of staff strength including the testing centres for various diseases in their jurisdiction.

Accordingly, information was submitted to the top brass in the department. Senior officers will go through the information and take a call on relocation of the staff.

According to sources, while the ANMs strength was more or less proper in each PHC and sub-centres, the transfers would mostly confine to doctors or medical officers and supervisors.