Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 5: On the hind side of empty recurring by minister for health and medical education claiming to assign top priority to health services in rural areas, PHC at Malothi village of Doda district which was upgraded three years back, sans doctors, sufficient accommodation, and drugs. Puran Chand, a resident of village Malothi told Early Times that the hospital is running in three rooms, with two Pharmacists and a sweeper as staff since it was upgraded. "According to norms a PHC should have two medical officers, one for Allopathic and one for AYUSH, a dental surgeon, three Staff nurses, one Female Health Worker, one Health Educator, two health Assistant one female/Male but this health unit was upgraded in papers alone and on ground, only two pharmacists were running the PHC", they said. At least 22,000 people of Malothi and its adjoining areas are dependent on this health institution but the government never cared for providing health care facilities. The PHC, however, not only is defunct but also no medicines are available there. Ironically, it also lacks first aid facilities.
Criticizing the government another resident Ajaz Ahmed said that doctors preferred to stay in cities and urban areas but it was solely the responsibility of government to send doctors in these PHCs and also to sanction some other posts of Specialists, so that people did not have to travel to capital cities.
PHC Malothi is not the isolated cases but majority of health care institutions in Doda district were without any facilities and manpower.
According to government claims, the Primary Health Centre was supposed to cover a population of 20,000 besides the PHC in hilly, tribal or difficult areas should have six indoor/ observation beds and 24 hour emergency services with nursing facilities but all these claims were merely hoax. |
