G S Asgotra
Jammu, Aug 19: Since its establishment the Primary Health Center (PHC) of Badayal Brahamna is facing pressing crunch of man power, as several staff members out of 17 sanctioned posts are attached to another hospital. Moreover, all the vital equipment provided at the PHC are lying idle since 2012.
According to document in the possession of Early Times, equipments like X-rays machine, 10 kv Genset, Dental Chairs and dental equipment, laboratory equipment are gathering dust due to non-availability of doctors and technicians to operate these equipments provided in PHC.
Vishal Sharma, a local told this correspondent, "There are seventeen post in his PHC including two MBBS doctor, one BMS, one Dental surgeon, one X-ray technician but all are enjoying their attachments at their favorite areas", he said, adding that despite the post of dental surgeon in the PHC, patients are being forced to go to Sub-district Hospital R S Pura for treatment.
He said that Dr. Neena Sharma (dental surgeon) is attached to Sub district hospital R S Pura.
Narrating the miserable conditions of the only hospital in the area, he said that PHC has a driver but health department has forgotten to provide an ambulance, similarly the PHC has a Genset without fuel, x-rays machine without technician.
"There is over two thousand population of adjoining villages, and localities which depend on PHC for their treatment but government/ Health department are busy to construct infrastructure, purchasing machineries but not paying heed over the shortage of manpower" said Parmodh Sharma.
Sarpanch, Om Parkash said that the hospital has capacity sixteen beds, in the absence of sufficient man-power the people usually avoid to go there.
"We have been staging protest seeking fulling of vacant posts but nothing has been done so far by the authorities", he said, adding that they had apprised health department about the deplorable conditions of health services being extended to the people.
Block Medical Officer (BMO) Dr Desh Raj Bhagat when contacted acknowledged the shortage of doctors and other paramedical staff adding that it was only a three bed facility and the Chief Medical Officer personally visited PHC and has ensured to provide basic facilities to the locals. "Internal arrangements have been made to extend good services to the patients who visit the hospital", the BMO said. |
