THRIKKAKARA: The city has landed in a sick bay after the torrential monsoon showers. The government hospitals and primary health centres across the district are literally overflowing with patients. But the Primary Health Centre in Thrikkakara begs to differ. Unlike other institutions, it looks neat and clean with few patients, not more than five, contradictory to the numbers given by the medical officer in charge who said he could not divulge more details as he was not authenticated to do it. “Only the District Medical Officer (DMO) will be able to give them,” he said.
But on visiting the ward, there was only one occupant. There are no pillows on the beds. The 20-bedded ward looks spotlessly clean with no signs of being in use.
M A Mohanan, opposition leader, Thrikkakara Municipality, said that it has been almost one year since the PHC ceased taking inpatients.”
The dearth of doctors and nurses especially to take up night shifts has led to such a situation. The IP ward can accommodate around 25 patients,” he said.
If the MLA and the Municipality chairman had intervened, things would have been different. “But they don’t seem to be interested in such civic issues,” he said.
However, Shaji Vazhakkala,Thrikkakara Municipality chairman, refuted it.
“As far as I know,it is one of the efficiently functioning PHCs in the state. At a meeting held recently we received no complaints about it,” he said.