All is not well with Wellness Centre

A year after the CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) Wellness Centre, was established in the city, Central government employees and pensioners are fretting and fuming over the inadequacy of doctors and drugs, and problems in accessing the online system for taking appointments.

A vast majority of those visiting the CGHS Centre are senior citizens, who had retired from service long ago.

The centre has only two doctors, who are available only from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

They are unable to examine the hundreds of patients coming to the centre every day.

The dispensary staff members also come after 8 a.m. and verify the ID cards of the members and give a token number. Many cardholders are going back disappointed as the two doctors cannot attend to all of them in the limited time, says T.K. Bhagavanudu, cardholder.

Many senior citizens are coming around 6 a.m. or even earlier and standing outside the dispensary to avoid the prospect of having to turn up again and again for an appointment with the doctor.

“We are being made to stand for long hours in queue for distribution of drugs and sometimes we are being asked to come again as the drugs run out of stock. I made five trips to the CGHS centre for medicines

B. Madhu Gopal