Pune: In response to a pressing shortage of healthcare experts in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) run healthcare facilities, three ward medical officers (WMO) were transferred to maternity homes on Saturday.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been suffering from a shortage of expert doctors and staff. This lack of specialized doctors situation eventually caused inconvenience to citizens and patients. The three transferred WMOs are gynaecologists and have been handling clerical and administrative work at the ward office level for the past several years.
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However, Dr Nina Borade, the new PMC health chief has transferred them stating their expertise would be better utilized at the maternity hospitals. There they can provide better care to the patients in need.
As per the recent media report by Hindustan Times, Dr Borade said the PMC needs more expert doctors and staff to provide quality healthcare and services to the patients. She further said, “These three WMOs are gynecologists and they have been transferred to maternity homes that need such expert doctors. The clerical or administrative jobs can be done by other medical officers. The aim is to improve healthcare services at PMC-run hospitals.”
The three WMOs transferred include Dr Sarang Kalekar from the Bhawani Peth Ward office, who has been reassigned to Savitribai Phule Maternity Home in Guruwar Peth; Dr Sneha Kale from the Hadapsar-Mundhwa ward office, now at Annasaheb Magar Maternity Home; and Dr Manisha Sulakhe from the Wanwadi-Ramtekdi ward office, who will be moving to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Yerwada, according to the officials.
With the growing population in the city, patient care is supported by one general hospital, one infectious diseases hospital, 19 maternity homes, and 41 dispensaries. However, the ongoing shortage of medical professionals in the city has put additional pressure on these facilities, compromising the healthcare system.
A senior doctor from PMC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that many WMOs and zonal medical officers (ZMOs) have remained in their positions for an extended period.
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These three WMOs have held their positions for the past three to four years. According to the state government’s new directives, the ZMO is to be recognized as a Class-I medical officer. Consequently, all WMOs aim to continue in their roles and eventually be promoted to ZMOs. However, the need for expert doctors, including psychiatrists, gynaecologists, and paediatricians, among others, at the hospitals remains crucial, he said.