DHENKANAL: The new primary health centre (PHC) at Srimula village of Kamakshyanagar sub-division has made rapid strides in the last eight months. People’s participation has seen the PHC contribute significantly to health services.
Since 1991, the centre has been functioning as a dispensary with no doctors. Later it was upgraded to a PHC and handed over to an NOG, Social Organisation for Voluntary Action (SOVA), on public-private partnership from April 2010.
Prior to this arrangement, patients would go to Anlabereni Community Health Centre (CHC) for any basic health aid.
Currently, two doctors, including one Ayush doctor with required health staff are attending to the patients.
As many as 50 to 60 patients are coming to the PHC now. Fifty per cent of the poor patients are detected for malaria.
People of Kantapal, Srimula, Tumusingha, Mahuldagar and adjacent villages depend on this health centre.
In the last few months, people of the region too have contributed to the development of the PHC. Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) has been constituted with the participation of people, health staff and Zilla Parishad members.
Regular meetings are held for enhancing facilities and functioning of the centre. Water and power supply had already been restored, while work on the boundary wall is yet to be completed.
For management of the hospital, SOVA director U Mishra said we are consulting PRI members, senior citizens, administrative staff and health authorities for development works to be taken up in phases.
People of Srimula and nearby villages recently donated 66 units of blood during a blood donation camp jointly organised by the PHC, Dhenkanal District Blood Donors and Motivators Association and the Blood Bank.
They also took part in a plantation drive and offered labour and shared views at the development meetings, Mishra said.
A new building for labour room under NRHM for emergency services is almost complete.
The PHC, currently, is providing transport facility to the district headquarters hospital or nearby CHC for pregnant and lactating mothers.
RKS member Birabar Sahoo said the samiti had extended full co-operation to the hospital. However, the available rapid diagnostic kit is not enough to contain PFR and PVT (malaria). Patients, asked to undergo further test, find it difficult to meet the huge expenses. The government instead should provide free curative medicines for these patients, who are mostly poor.
In addition, a private dental surgeon provided free dental check-ups to villagers on every Wednesday.
CDMO B C Behera said, ‘We are taking steps for 24-hour services with upgraded facility.’