Bareilly: The district hospital in Bareilly, where 38 persons have died due to fever so far, is functioning with just one physician. According to data accessed by TOI, more than 500 patients are currently admitted to the medical facility. Of these, nearly 250 are fever patients. The hospital OPD has been receiving around 5,000 patients every day, 15% of which or 750, complain of fever.“Out of three sanctioned posts of physicians, we have only one for the past six months. As a large number of fever cases are being reported, the additional director, health, of Bareilly division had attached a physician from Pilibhit (whose rank is of additional chief medical officer) to the Bareilly district hospital. However, the physician came here only on Tuesday and did not report on Wednesday again. We have only 25 doctors against 45 posts at the district hospital and I have written to the state government many times,” said KS Gupta, chief medical superintendent (CMS), joint district hospital.Uttar Pradesh health minister Sidharth Nath Singh and state finance minister Rajesh Agrawal had inspected district hospital on Tuesday.After the outbreak, 96 additional beds were added to the 325-bed district hospital as well as in women’s district hospital to deal with surge in fever patients. Though the beds count has increased to 421, there is still shortage of beds forcing patients to share beds.According to the authorities, as extra beds have been put up in the eye, cardiology, geriatric, and emergency wards, the hospital presently needs appropriate number of staff to look after patients round the clock.Dr Ajay Mohan Agarwal, the lone physician at the hospital, told TOI, “I am managing somehow. I am on round of the hospital every time as some patient or the other needs help. Though ayurvedic doctors have joined, I have to attend to patients and look after their treatment.”“Eight ayurvedic doctors from Ayurvedic College of Bareilly have been attached to the district hospital and they will be present here round the clock. Under the guidance of the physician, they will take care of patients. Two more ayurvedic doctors will join from Thursday,” the CMS said.The community health centres and primary health centres in the district are also facing acute staff shortage. “Out of 184 sanctioned posts of doctors, 65 are lying vacant. We have informed the state government many times,” chief medical officer (CMO) Vineet Shukla said. Other than this, 17 doctors in the district have been on long leaves for the past many months.Meanwhile, death toll in the district climbed to 38 after a 55-year-old woman died due to fever on Tuesday night. Hamsheer Mohd, whose wife Guriya is the head of Manpuriya Dalel village under Bithri Chainpur block, said, “Shiv Devi, wife of Narayan Lal, succumbed to fever. I have requested the health department to organise camp in our village.”The CMO, however, said “There has been no report of death in Bithri Chainpur. Fever may be a symptom in many diseases.”“On Wednesday, Asha workers led by ACMO conducted door-to-door survey and in 21 villages of the district and brought fever patients to health camps. We will continue to do so in the affected villages,” the CMO added.

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