Dearth of doctors hits rural healthcare services

KENDRAPARA: Shortage of doctors and lack of adequate infrastructure have crippled healthcare services in the district. A Primary Health Centre (PHC) at the seaside Batighar village in Mahakalapada block is running without a doctor for the last two years. Set up in 1994, the hospital provides healthcare services to around 30,000 people of 18 villages. While PHC has no medicine, para-medical staff manage the daily affairs of the hospital and in serious cases, they refer the patients to nearby Community Health Centre (CHC) at Mahakalapada or the district headquarters hospital (DHH).

The journey to Mahakalapada or Kendrapara proves costly for the patients as the vehicle owners charge around `600, said Arjun Das of Batighar village. Ramakanta Jena, a retired school teacher of the village, said the scorching heat in summer coupled with acute water shortage have made the lives of people miserable. In summer, many villagers particularly children suffer water-borne diseases due to non-availability of drinking water. But non-appointment of doctors in the PHC has taken a toll on villagers’ healthcare, he added. Similarly, villagers of Kandarapatia alleged that getting healthcare services has become a dream for the locals as they have to travel 10 km to reach Mahakalapada hospital after crossing a river.

“We carry patients in slings to reach the nearby hospital due to lack of a bridge over the river,” said Manas Mandal, a villager. Sources said more than 90 posts of doctor in PHCs of the district are lying vacant since long. Of the 171 sanctioned posts, only 81 doctors are working in the district. The Health Department is yet to wake up from the deep slumber to fill up the vacancies. Due to non-availability of doctors in the PHCs, villagers are forced to depend on quacks in rural areas.

The quacks have a field day in these remote villages, thanks to the gross negligence on the part of the health officials. At least 100 quacks have virtually sidelined allopathic treatment in the villages of Mahakalapada and Rajnagar blocks, said Gyanaranjan Beura, a local BJP leader. The district has nine CHCs and 46 PHCs to meet healthcare needs of rural areas. Out of 46 PHCs, 24 are functioning without any doctor while para-medical staff are managing the show in these centres. “We have already informed the higher officials about the vacancies in the hospitals. We hope the State Government will soon appoint doctors in the district. Meanwhile, villagers in water-hit areas have been advised not to consume polluted water,” said Additional District Medical Officer (ADMO) Dr MB Baig.