Bhawanipatna: A peon in Sadar Mahakuma Ayurvedic Hospital plays the role of a doctor as the respective health centre under Kalampur block in Bhawanipatna district is running without doctor and a pharmacist for last two year.
Around 50,000 people under four panchayats including Mandal, Minagur, Kotagaon and Nuagaon are deprived of health care facilities.
“Patients visiting this government hospital are not getting treatment due to the unavailability of both doctor and pharmacist. Poor patients who visit this hospital bear the brunt as they have no money to go to a private hospital or nursing home,” said a local Chintamani Behera.
The hospital was established in 1947. People of nearby villages are depending upon the hospital from that period.
Earlier doctors with good experience were treating the patients in the hospital. As a result, the people in the area have lots of hope in the hospital.
Even though the government has recently implemented 5-T and Mo Sarkar initiatives in order to give a proper health care facility to the patients both in rural and urban areas, the two initiatives have failed to make any difference on these two hospitals.
As per the departmental information in 2018, a doctor had been appointed in the hospital. But after a few days, he took leave for continuing his higher studies. From then the government has not taken any steps for posting in the vacant posts.
In the absence of a doctor or pharmacist, the peon in the hospital is prescribing medicines to patients with whatever knowledge he has gained working in the hospital.
Recently, members of Mandal Samiti Sabhya have taken up the issue with the Tehsildar.
A delegation of the organisation, led by its president Chintamani Behera, met Tehsildar and submitted a memorandum for posting of a doctor and a pharmacist in the hospital soon.
The organisation has also threatened to take to the streets if the authorities fail to solve their problem.
A district ayurvedic officer Chakradhar Panda said the doctor who was given appointment, has gone to complete his higher studies. After completing his higher studies he will join the hospital in October, 2020.