Six months after opening, CHC lying idle

 CUTTACK:  Six months after the inauguration, the Urban Community Health Centre (UCHC) at CDA Sector-7 here in Cuttack has been lying idle leading to discontentment among the people in and around the localities.Inaugurated on December 30, 2017 by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the health centre had raised hopes among the people of Satellite Township of availing health care facilities in their locality. But, half a year later, the health centre is lying neglected without bed and doctors and is yet to become operational. 

As per reports, considering the need and avowed claim, it was decided to set up a UCHC here to provide advanced health care services to more than one lakh people belonging to CDA, Bidansi and Markatnagar localities which will function as a referral hospital for local Urban Public Health Centres (UPHCs).
Besides, offering outpatient department having free drugs and diagnostics service facilities, the 30-bed UCHC had aimed at providing medical care, minor surgical facilities, institutional delivery and specialist services for medicine, paediatric and surgery under one roof.

On June 11, 2015, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for UCHC building. The building, constructed over 30,000 sq.ft. area at a cost of `5 crore under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) was also inaugurated by Naveen six months back.However, the 30-bed UCHC is yet to open its indoor health care service to the public as it sans beds, doctors and other health care infrastructure.

The State Government has so far provided one doctor on regular basis and two other doctors on contractual basis to this UCHC, which has a total sanctioned strength of six, doctors including the requirement of four specialists in the field of Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr. Bibhuti Nayak who conceded that indoor health care service of the UCHC could not be operational due to lack of beds, doctors and other infrastructure however told that the outpatient department (OPD) is somehow functioning with the help of existing staff. “We are trying to post doctors and make operational of the indoor healthcare service as soon as possible,” he added.