BARIPADA: Accusing the State Government of neglecting healthcare in Mayurbhanj district, activists of BJP on Friday blocked entry into the office of Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) here and staged protest.The BJP workers, led by district president Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, staged demonstration in front of the gate of CDMO office for several hours, disrupting official work in the process.
The agitators alleged that shortage of doctors in Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and other medical facilities has affected delivery of healthcare services in the tribal dominated district.
While 128 doctor posts are lying vacant, the State Government has also turned a blind eye to the shortage of nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and radiographers in several health centres of Rairangpur, Udala and Karanjia NACs in the district, they alleged. This apart, the Government has not taken any steps for proper management of PHCs, CHCs and other health institutions in the district. While there is no provision of safe drinking water in most of the hospitals, poor sanitation facilities continue to ail the healthcare sector.
PHCs and CHCs are running from dilapidated buildings where plaster from the ceilings is peeling off, posing serious threat to patients. With the Health department looking the other way, patients are forced to go to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Government Medical College and Hospital (MCH) for treatment. On the other hand, the MCH is unable to cater to the increasing number of patients who can been seen undergoing treatment on floors and verandahs of the institution, the BJP activists said.
They claimed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gave false report about the MCH which continues to operate from the district headquarters hospital. A separate building with 500 beds should be set up for the MCH for the benefit of locals and other patients coming from neighbouring West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, the BJP activists said.
Moreover, the CM should immediately make the defunct Ayurvedic College and Homeopathic College in the district functional. This apart, 24-hour power supply should be made available at all PHCs, CHCs, and other health centres, they demanded.The BJP activists also submitted a memorandum addressed to Governor SC Jamir through CDMO Laxmidhar Kabi.