Boinda: With 24 doctor posts lying vacant for a long time, health facilities in Athamallik subdivision in Angul district are in a pathetic state, a report said.
There are a total of nine hospitals in the sub-division and as many as 27 doctor posts had been lying vacant for long. However, bowing to the local people’s demands, the government had appointed seven doctors at different hospitals.
But three of them joined their duties and the rest four are learnt to be reluctant to join in. Prior to the appointment, alone at Athamallik sub divisional hospital, out of 16 sanctioned doctor posts, nine were lying vacant.
With one new doctor joining his duty here, eight posts are still lying vacant. Similarly, out of eight doctor posts at Madhapur community health centre (CHC), six were lying vacant before new posting. Two new doctors have joined their duties here and four posts are yet to be fulfilled.
In case of Kishorenagar CHC, only two doctors are managing the show while six others are lying vacant. No new doctor has been given appointment here. At the same time, the primary health centres (PHC) at Boinda, Handapa, Angapada, Pataka, Paikasahi and Thakurgarh have each a vacant doctor post.
A new doctor had been appointed at Pataka, Paikasahi and Boinda PHCs. But the doctors are yet to join their duties at the PHCs. The Handapa PHC has a postmortem centre but it has no doctor to carry out the autopsy.
The postmortem is done only when a doctor from Kishorenagar CHC arrives here after travelling a distance of 30 kilometres. Meanwhile the residents of Athamallik sub division threatened to resort to strike to make their demands fulfilled.
“Over 15,000 people of three panchayats depend on Pataka PHC. The lone doctor post here has long been lying vacant. The people are facing a lot of problems in getting timely treatment,” alleged Pradeep Pradhan, a resident of Pataka area.
The residents of Boinda, Paikasahi and Thakurgarh shared the same concern. “Demanding appointment of doctors in six vacant posts at Kishorenagar CHC, ‘Jeevan Jibika and Krishi Jami Suraksha Committee’ had organised a strike in past.
Then we were assured that the vacant posts would soon be fulfilled. But the government had reneged on its promise,” observed Ramani Ranjan Pradhan, a resident of Kishorenagar.
When contacted, CDMO, Angul, Dr Trilochan Pradhan said the government has appointed seven doctors at different facilities. Of them, some have already joined in their duties.
The government has been apprised of the vacant posts in Athamallik sub division. The problem will come to an end once the government takes step to fill up the vacant posts.
PNN
