Nurse shortage hits govt hospitals

THRISSUR: The government hospitals in state are functioning with a nurse-patients ration of 1: 50 against the norm of 1:4, going by to the data collected by Kerala Government Nurses Association (KGNA).

According to the association, due to the delay in the posting of nurses and giving promotions, the situation in the hospitals have worsened with nurses on duty at these hospitals finding it difficult to administer medicines to patients in time and give them proper care.

"The present staff pattern was implemented in 1961 and there will be some 60,000 beds in the government hospitals across the state starting from Primary Health Centers (PHC) to higher centers like Government Medical College Hospitals (MCHs). At present, there are 6,006 nurses in hospitals in the state under Directorate of Health Services (DHS) and 2,800 under Department of Medical Education (DME). To provide 24x7 treatment to patients in taluk, district and general hospitals under DHS and MCHs under DME by working in three shifts, the available staff strength is alarmingly insufficient," KGNA secretary Sudeesh Kumar said.

Besides that, all the 14 posts of District Nursing Officer (DNO) - each meant for a district - is lying vacant for the last two years. It is the DNO that coordinates with District Medical Officers (DMOs) in proper allocation of nurses in all hospitals, association officials said.

When DC took up with the matter with Dr. Ramesh R, director of health service, he said that there was indeed constraints in matter regarding the appropriate ratio but going by the number of in-patients, the ratio would be almost be 1:6.

But the KGNA refutes such a claim saying that the ration could not be based on in-patients and in medical colleges the patients even seek treatment lying on the floor.