Shortage of staff affects hospitals, says NGOs

Two Non-Governmental Organisations today attributed deaths in government hospitals in South Tamil Nadu to shortage of staff, espcially doctors.
According to a statement from Anandharaj, functionary of Right to Health and Henry Tiphagne, founder of People's Watch there were nine district head quarters hospitals, 79 Taluk Hospitals and six maternity and child care hospitals in south Tamil Nadu with a total capacity of 7335 beds.
The total number of patients coming to the hospitals had touched 23,61,941. However the number of doctors are not proportionate to the patients coming to the hospitals.
There was a shortage of 300 doctors in the District head quarters hospitals, with Ramanathapuram accounting for 31 per cent shortage. In Karaikudi headquarters hospital only two doctors were working, while Erwadi hospital did not have any doctor. In Muthukulathur there were only four dooctors instead of required strength of 14 doctors.

In Kadaladi town hospital also there were no doctors.
At several hospitals in Ramanathpuram district, two or three doctors treated 500 patients in a day. As per the W H O standard, one doctor could treat only 70 patients in a day. The shortage of doctors was the main cause of deaths in the hospitals, they said.