BARIPADA: Not long ago, Uparbeda village in Kusumi block of Mayurbhanj district attained iconic status as its native went on to become the President of the country. However, other than the euphoria that followed, nothing much has changed in the village, with its residents battling with poor healthcare system.
The lone health and wellness centre at the fag end of the village caters to the needs of hundreds of people of seven periphery villages including Uparbeda. With hardly any manpower to take care of the requirements, some pharmacy staff attend to the patients while the ‘temporary’ doctor reportedly visits the centre only in case of emergency.
Villagers blame the administration for the poor state of affairs. “We have one wellness centre and one doctor. You can imagine our plight,” say villagers.A visit to the centre on Sunday found it to be locked as patients came trickling and only to return.
Blame it on lack of monitoring by authorities concerned, due to lack of any facility at the centre, patients from Uperbeda and nearby villages visit the sub-divisional hospitals at Rairangpur and Karanjia which are 15 km and 30 km respectively from the area.
“We have never seen a nurse or any other staff in the hospital. It is difficult for pregnant women to avail treatment at the centre as it does not have adequate facilities,” said Nirupama Mandal, a local. No senior official has visited in the last several years to inspect facilities available for patients, she added.
“We have been bearing the problems since long but were also hopeful that after the President’s election, the plight of our village will change. I am waiting for the day when administration will take note,” said Ghanashyam Giri, an Uparbeda resident. The villagers have been demanding a regular doctor, pharmacist, nurse and adequate beds at the centre.
Former MLA and state vice president of JMM Prahlad Purty said, “This is the condition where only one doctor is in charge of five health care centres. Imagine a hospital that remains closed on a Sunday like a government holiday.”Despite repeated attempts, centre in-charge Dr Ritesh Murmu could not be contacted.