Daijiworld Media Network – Kadaba
Kadaba, Nov 18: The chief minister’s office (CMO) has intervened to address the deepening crisis at the Kadaba Community Health Centre, following a report published in Udayavani on November 13 which detailed severe shortages of doctors and several administrative lapses affecting healthcare at the 30-bed hospital.
Responding to the chief minister’s directive, Dr K Vaishnavi, special duty officer at the CMO, has written to the principal secretary of the health and family welfare department and the Dakshina Kannada DHO, urging swift remedial action.
The communication stated that although the hospital was upgraded from a Primary Health Centre to a Community Health Centre, the absence of permanent medical officers had aggravated the situation. Authorities have been instructed to act immediately and submit a compliance report without delay.
District Health and Family Welfare officials have acknowledged the issues raised and have provided a detailed explanation of the hospital’s current challenges. They confirmed that all specialist posts at the Kadaba Community Health Centre are vacant except for the dentist, and that the post of senior medical officer has remained unfilled since January 2024.
Despite multiple recruitment notifications issued under the National Health Mission, no candidates have applied for the specialist positions. In an attempt to fill the vacancies, the district administration has scheduled interviews on November 20 to appoint medical officers on a contract basis.
Officials also confirmed that local residents have planned a protest on the same day. During their visit to the hospital on November 13, district authorities met with residents to hear their grievances and discuss the immediate needs of the facility. As an interim measure, a medical officer has been deployed on a temporary rotational basis to ensure that essential healthcare services continue without interruption.
The CMO has stressed the need for rapid and effective intervention to restore proper functioning of the hospital. District authorities have assured that recruitment of permanent and contractual medical staff is being prioritised to stabilise operations and safeguard healthcare access for the people of Kadaba.