Anaesthetists in great demand in state

BHUBANESWAR: In today’s healthcare system, the role of anaesthetists might have gone beyond the limits of the operation theatre to essential critical care units, ICUs, trauma care and pain and palliative care units, but the State struggles to make the most of these professionals, thanks to serious dearth of manpower in the field. The problem is all set to grow more acute in the near future as the State expands the National Programme for Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) and the National Programme for Health Care for Elderly People (NPHCE) to all the districts. The health care system in the State is reeling from an acute shortage of anaesthetists. While postponement of surgeries on account of non-availability of anaesthetists has become a norm in the medical colleges, at the peripheral hospitals including the district headquarter hospitals, surgeons are not venturing beyond minor operations, referring the wee bit major cases to tertiary centres. This has resulted in a serious burden on the MCHs. According to sources, there are no anaesthetists in at least 17 of the 30 districts as posts for the same are yet to be created. The NPCDCS and NPHCE have been implemented in Nuapada district and are to be extended to four more districts soon. This would enhance requirement of anaesthetists. Experts have called for readying infrastructure to produce anaesthetists in greater number. At present around 21 anaesthetists come out every year against the need of at least 50. Further, only a few of them are interested in joining Government institutions for several reasons like low perks. The Government is doing its bit but things need to speed up, to develop proper infrastructure and adequate manpower for effective implementation of the ambitious programmes, India Society of Anaesthesiology Academic (ISA) Committee member Prof Sukdev Nayak said. The ISA Orissa chapter has called for increase in the number of seats and improvement in perks and service conditions for anaesthetists. There could be a significant increase in PG seats in MKCG Medical at Berhampur and VSS Medical at Burla, Bhubaneswar unit secretary Dr (Maj) PK Patro said.