Bhubaneswar, July 15: Pharmacists in the state capital are prescribing medicines in the absence of doctors at some unit hospitals or zonal dispensaries.

Shortage of doctors has become so acute that they are now being rotated to attend services at Capital Hospital, the nearest referral facility, to manage the patient inflow.

Hence, in their absence at some unit hospitals, pharmacists and even paramedics are issuing prescriptions for patients.

Asked about the new role of some pharmacists at zonal dispensaries, chief medical officer of Capital Hospital Dr Gangadhar Rath said: “Pharmacists cannot write prescriptions. They should only distribute medicines.”

Regarding the absence of support staff at Unit IX zonal dispensary, Rath said: “An order has been issued to fill up the posts immediately.”

Admitting that shortage of doctors had crippled the hospital services, he said: “With six doctors deployed for rath yatra, including an orthopaedic specialist, managing the situation here has become difficult. Without rotating doctors from unit hospitals or zonal dispensaries, we cannot run Capital Hospital even after rath yatra.”

There are 14 unit hospitals under Capital Hospital to look after the primary health-care needs of local patients. The Telegraph today scanned five hospitals to have an inside look.

At Unit IX flats zonal dispensary pharmacist Sachidananda Senapati wrote out prescriptions in front of the The Telegraph team.

At Sishu Bhavan, pharmacist G.C. Samal was writing out prescriptions and even advising parents of paediatric patients what to do and what not to. He even went on to advise a parent on some specific tests on malaria and changed medicines for another.

Senapati of Unit IX flats zonal dispensary said: “The medical officer, S.K. Nayak, came in the morning but left around 10.30am as he had duty at Capital Hospital. This takes place every Thursday,” he said.

“Acute shortage of doctors has resulted in this situation and we have to look after patients in the absence of the doctor,” Senapati added.

Debiprasad Das of Unit IX area, who also depends on the local dispensary, said: “In the absence of doctors, an alternative arrangement should be made. We have to solve the problem, else the healthcare system might collapse.”

Samal of Sishu Bhavan made light of his writing the prescription. “There should be at least two doctors in the hospital as the patient flow is more. However, there is one sanctioned post of a paediatrician and after several attempts, another doctor, a homeopathic, has been posted. But as the paediatrician and AYUSH doctors are absent today, I have to look after the patients,” he said.

A parent, who came with his daughter to the hospital, said: “The paediatrician goes to Capital Hospital on a day and takes off on another. The hospital is without the paediatrician for two days in a week.”

The Matrumangal Kendra at Unit II is a centre exclusively for mother and child healthcare, but it has no regular gynaecologist. A doctor posted at Capital Hospital comes to the centre every Friday.

“There should be a regular gynaecologist for this centre as people staying in slum colonies at Ashok Nagar and government quarters at Unit II and Station Square throng the dispensary. Here also, paramedics such as health workers and lady health visitors are prescribing medicines for patients coming for ante-natal care,” said Sanjay Rout, a local resident.

Unit IX zonal dispensary has three vacant posts: those of gardener-cum watchman, sweeper and attendant. “While the gardener-cum-watchman’s post has been vacant for two years, there is no sweeper for three years. The attendant retired 15 days ago,” said an employee, who does not want to be quoted.

Medical officer Trupti Patnaik said: “The chief medical officer of Capital Hospital has been informed and he has assured us that steps would be taken soon to solve the issue. But we need a sweeper immediately as without him the hospital premises would be dirty.”

The walls of the dispensary have several patch marks as electrical wiring was carried out after the civil construction work last year. “We have informed the public works department regarding this but till date they have not done anything,” said Patnaik.

Unit III zonal dispensary looks smart, but the premises have not been cleaned for the last three days as the sweeper has not turned up.

“When there is a strict guideline for doctors and other staff to have a transfer rule, there is nothing for the grassroots level staff. As they are here for the last 15-17 years, they are not responding to their seniors and it has become a serious problem. There should be a regular transfer regime for all staff to make them perform in a better way,” said an employee.

Medical officer Dr Jharana Behera said: “There are indeed some problems with the sweeper and also the premises of the hospital are full of unnecessary plants and weeds. We have requested the authorities concerned to do something so that we can take up a plantation programme or beautification drive to make the dispensary more beautiful.”