Tamil Nadu: Mere 6 percent doctors working at Primary Health Services

Chennai: A 3-month audit by Arappor Iyakkam, a citizen's group reflects only 6% doctors on duty at Primary Health Centres during the stipulated 7 hours (8Am-3pm) work shift in the city.

A recent report in Times of India states that 50 Volunteers chose to conduct a survey on 360 patients and their relatives at 7 hospitals and 26 primary health care centres.

With doctors not present in 23% of the primary health centres when the volunteers visited, they also discovered that the medical practitioners were there only for 2 hours between 9 am and 11 am.

Despite a short hour attendance by them, the patients seemed satisfied with their services, as 83% felt that they all spent sufficient time with them for consultation. Almost all the patients admitted to being given the required medicine at the primary health centres.

69% patients according to the survey, expressed happiness with the doctor's service. While 60% expressed happiness over the services rendered by nurses, pharmacists, and lab technicians.

The survey exposed availability of poor quality drinking water, unsanitary practices, and unusable toilets. 65% spoke of unhygienic toilets and Drinking water facilities. according to 38% of patients, toilets were kept unclean, while 65% complained of lack of purity in the drinking water served.

Patients confessed to giving bribes for basic services. Most of them complained of not being provided hospital stretchers without a bribe being paid.

The survey was carried out at prominent hospitals including Stanley Medical Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital and Government Royapettah Hospital.

The fact that the volunteers discovered that wheelchairs at Stanley Medical Hospital were being used to transport garbage and the toilet at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital was being used as a storeroom should put all to shame reports TOI.