Due to an acute shortage of government doctors in state-run hospital s and health centres in the district, patients are forced to visit other places for treatment. Sources said that as against the sanctioned strength of 210 doctors only 49 doctors are working in the district.

Jind civil hospital, which has over 1,200 outpatient department (OPD) visits on a daily basis, has been depending only upon 14 doctors, including four w omen doctors, and three dental surgeons, whereas 56 posts are sanctioned here.

A senior doctor in the civil hospital said while talking to TOI, that they don’t have a skin specialist for the last 15 years even though a high number of patients with such diseases turn up there for treatment. There are no doctors to treat the ailments of heart, nerves and dengue and malaria for the last seven-eight years. Also, no ENT specialist is available for the last two years despite 200 patients visiting the OPD every day and no eye specialist for the past one year.

Jind chief medical officer (CMO) Shashi Prabha said that they have sent several reminders to the higher authorities to appoint doctors here. But still the problem persists and they are forced to rely on less than 40% doctors. Even few specialists like ENT doctors are not available in the entire district. Due to the shortage of medical officers, they are forced to refer the patients to other hospitals for further treatment.

Jind MLA Krishan Midha, who is from the ruling BJP, said the issue of shortage of doctors had been brought to the notice of the Haryana health minister Anil Vij and has hoped that the government would soon assign the specialists in the district.