Ajay Sharma
Sunderbani, October 10: Despite a significant influx of child patients at the Sub District Hospital (SDH) Sunderbani, the absence of a permanent paediatrician has been causing major inconvenience to the locals.
According to reports, the local community has raised demands for the appointment of a permanent paediatrician, emphasizing the urgent need for such a specialist in the area.
“Concerns have been growing since the retirement of the previous Block Medical Officer (BMO),” sources revealed, adding that despite political efforts to appoint a local BMO, the critical issue of the absence of a dedicated child specialist remains unresolved.
Locals have expressed their frustration, particularly over the irregular availability of the current paediatrician, who only attends the Outpatient Department (OPD) 2-3 days a week.
“Do children only fall sick on these specific days?” one concerned parent asked, pointing out the inadequacy of the current arrangement. Many fear that children requiring urgent medical attention on days when the specialist is unavailable could face serious consequences.
Residents have sought the intervention of the Health Commissioner and the Director of Health.
“Locals have voiced concerns that political interference may be affecting hospital appointments,” sources said, adding that many argue the public’s healthcare needs, particularly for essential services like paediatric care, are being overlooked.
The community is now planning to escalate the matter to higher authorities, including Prime Minister Modi and the Lieutenant Governor, urging them to address the pressing healthcare deficiencies at SDH Sunderbani.
“If a permanent child specialist is not appointed soon, we may be forced to take further action,” warned a local leader.
Despite repeated attempts, the BMO and other senior officials of the health department were unavailable for comment.
