Health centre opens in unused SDH building

JEYPORE: Buckling under pressure from different quarters, the Health Department on Friday started operation of Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in the old Sub-Divisional Hospital (SDH) here. A doctor and five health staff have been engaged in the UPHC that will function from 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm daily. On Government and local holidays, it will remain open only during the morning hours.
A few days back, members of Rogi Kalyan Samiti, headed by Jeypore Sub-Collector LN Dalbehera, had urged the district administration to open a health unit in the old sub-divisional hospital building to cater to healthcare needs of the locals. 

After the sub-divisional hospital was given district hospital status in August, all the infrastructure facilities including equipment were shifted to Phulbad on the outskirts of Jeypore town where the district headquarters hospital (DHH) was set up. Since then, the seven-decade-old hospital building has been abandoned and locals had to travel five kms to reach the DHH to avail health services or visit private nursing homes in the town that charge hefty amount.

Considering the problems faced by the people, Rogi Kalyan Samiti of Jeypore had urged the district administration to provide at least four doctors and other staff in the old hospital building to operate a health unit that can provide emergency services.

Prior to that, Jeypore Citizens Committee had made a similar demand and alleged that the hospital building was used by criminals for gambling and other nefarious activities.

The hospital building spreads over five acres of land and is located close to the main road. The State Government had opened the sub-divisional hospital at Jeypore in 1953 and a few years later, it was upgraded at an expenditure of `5 crore to cater to healthcare needs of people of Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts. 

Collector KS Chakrabarti said the UPHC would meet the minimum health needs of the people living in the town.