At Uttangara PHC, pharmacist plays doctor since five years

JAJPUR:  In what can describe the stark reality of healthcare in the State, a lone pharmacist has been the only hope for patients visiting the Uttangara Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Binjharpur block. In fact, Smruti Ranjan Behera posted as pharmacist in the centre 10 years back has been treating patients for the last five years in the absence of a doctor at the PHC. 

He not only doubles up as a doctor but also becomes the sweeper, attendant and ANM as per the needs of the centre. “I arrive at the facility at 8 am and leave at 1 pm after closing all rooms and gate of the PHC,” Behera said. According to sources, an Ayush doctor (homeopath), posted at the facility under NRHM scheme, visits the facility twice a week while the rest of the days, he visits Binjharpur CHC. 

Since most people are wary of consulting an Ayush doctor who normally prescribes homeopathy medicines, Behera is the one most sought after to offer treatment to patients. Behera says his repeated pleas to the district administration and the Chief Minister to appoint a doctor at the facility has not yielded any result. He claims to have also taken help of micro blogging site Twitter to draw attention of higher ups but to no avail.

The locals too took up the issue with the local legislator, collector and chief district medical officer and submitted memoranda but all their appeals fell on deaf ears.  Though earlier over 100 patients visited the PHC when a doctor was posted, the number of patients has now come down to 20.

Approximately 50,000 people from five panchayats in Binjharpur including Uttangara are deprived of health facilities in a district where over 60 per cent doctor posts are lying vacant. Jajpur CDMO Sudhanshu Sekhar Bal said the district has 268 sanctioned posts of doctors of which 146 are lying vacant. As many as 20 out of 122 are engaged in training and that leaves the district with just 102 doctors.