Jharigaon: Healthcare services at the community centre and all the primary health centres at Jharigaon in Nabarangpur district have been badly hit as more than 30 per cent of the staff working in these places have been entrusted with election duties.
Polls to the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency and the seven Assembly segments including Jharigaon were held Monday.
Sources informed that due to the lack of qualified staff, patients at the community health centre (CHC) and the five primary health centres, are suffering. Officials informed that it will take 4-5 days for restoration of normalcy.
The matter came to the fore when 18 persons suffered injuries, some of them seriously, in an accident on the Jharigaon-Chandahandi road when an auto-rickshaw collided with a car, Sunday. All of them were rushed to the CHC here, but treatment got delayed due to the absence of doctors and other qualified staff in the Emergency department.
The situation sparked tension among the relatives of the victims and the locals who had brought them to the CHC. Hospital authorities expressed helplessness as they pointed out that staff had been asked to attend poll duties.
There are five primary health centres (PHC) and one CHC in this block. A total of 105 people, including doctors and pharmacists, are employed in these six centres.
Officials informed Monday that eight employees have been sent on deputation to other hospitals. They added that out of the remaining 97 employees, 31 have been entrusted with election duties. Officials pointed out that all the seven pharmacists in the CHC and PHCs have been pulled out for poll duties. Others who have been put on the election roster include 15 multi-purpose health workers (male), one senior helper, three attendants, three sweepers and two laboratory technicians.
Such is the situation that at times nurses are providing emergency healthcare services to patients. Doctors after checking patients are distributing medicines themselves due to the shortage of staff. Even medical officers working at the CHC and PHCs are doing elementary jobs that have nothing to do with the treatment. They informed that the situation will turn normal once those who have been sent on election duty return.
PNN