Staff crunch at UP's Mahoba CHC forces patients to travel 20 km for treatment
Doctor Shortage
Mahoba: A severe shortage of healthcare personnel at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Kharela, Mahoba district, has significantly disrupted medical services, leaving residents of nearly 20 surrounding villages dependent on just the medical officer in charge and an AYUSH doctor.
The staffing crisis has forced many patients, particularly pregnant women and those requiring emergency care, to travel nearly 20 kilometres for treatment.
The situation worsened after the transfer of two doctors and two staff nurses last month. Since then, the CHC has been struggling to provide both routine and emergency services with limited manpower. The hospital, which was upgraded to a 10-bed Community Health Centre two years ago, has reportedly been unable to fill several sanctioned posts despite its expanded status, according to Amar Ujala.
According to available information, one female doctor and one male doctor who had been posted at the facility for the past six months were transferred recently. The nursing workforce was also reduced after two of the three staff nurses assigned to handle deliveries and immunisation services were transferred. In addition, the pharmacist's post has remained vacant for the past year.
At present, the healthcare facility is functioning with only one staff nurse, one Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), the medical officer in charge, and an AYUSH doctor. Officials say this limited workforce is insufficient to manage the patient load, particularly in emergencies.
As a result, patients requiring specialised care or emergency treatment are being referred to the CHC in Charkhari or the Muskara CHC in neighbouring Hamirpur district. Expectant mothers are also being directed to Charkhari for institutional deliveries due to the shortage of trained staff.
The staffing gap has affected healthcare access for residents of Kharela town as well as nearly 20 nearby villages, with many patients facing delays and additional travel to receive medical attention.
Confirming the shortage, Medical Officer In-Charge Dr Rajesh Verma acknowledged that the transfer of two doctors, two staff nurses and the prolonged vacancy of the pharmacist's post have made it impossible to provide full-fledged healthcare services at the centre.
He stated that emergency and outpatient department (OPD) services are currently being managed with the available resources. Dr Verma added that repeated requests have been sent to higher authorities seeking replacement staff to restore normal healthcare services at the CHC.
