MADIKERI: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apple does not grow in Surlabbi, the tiny Kodagu hamlet, but the villagers wonder what has kept the doctor away from their Primary Health Centre for long.
On most days it is a Group D worker who doubles up as nurse and doctor at the PHC which caters to the healthcare needs of five villages—Surlabbi, Hammiyala, Garvale, Mutlu, Kumbaragadige and Mankya.
The PHC has a doctor on its roster but very few have seen the healer. The health centre is equipped with relatively good infrastructure but it stays locked most of the time.
“A permanent doctor has been posted to the PHC. It is an interior place and there are not many patients. We have asked the doctor to report at the PHC at least three times in a week,” said Dr Satish Kumar, District Health Officer.
The villagers are, however, unaware of the doctor’s posting as the doctor does not turn up when they queue up at the PHC.
“A Group D worker opens and shuts the PHC. When she is on leave, the centre stays locked. The worker hands over medicines for minor health issues. In case of a major health issue, we have to make arrangements to reach Madapura, which is more than 15-km away,” said Mani, a resident of Mutlu.
When TNIE visited the PHC, it was locked as the Group D worker had gone on some ‘personal errands’. The doctor was, however, not available for comment. The DHO said he would look into the mysterious case of the missing doctor.