Bargarh: Bargarh residents observed a bandh from Monday morning, throwing normal life out of gear in the process, demanding the authorities turn the old District headquarters hospital (DHH) into City Hospital.
Educational institutions and business establishments downed their shutters supporting the demand. Agitated people staged road blockades at strategic locations including the square in front of the old DHH.
In another development, district planning committee chairman and MLA Debesh Acharya, who reached the old DHH at about 8am to attend a meeting with district administration officials and health department officials at the old DHH to discuss the legitimacy of the demand, had to face the ire of angry people. The MLA is said to have been detained for some time.
Ample police forces have been deployed at the old DHH to avoid any untoward situation, it was learnt.
The agitating people said they would continue their strike till the old DHH is declared as ‘city hospital’.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated the new district headquarters hospital at Tukurlad (Khedipali) January 21. The shifting of all the machines, all types of equipment and beds from the old DHH to the new one started from January 31.
As of now the health facilities for in and out-patients at the old DHH have been badly affected. Protesting against this step-motherly attitude, the people of Bargarh have been demanding ‘city hospital’ status to the old DHH for last couple of days.
It is worth mentioning that the state government has meanwhile declared the old DHH as the primary health centre (PHC).
PNN