Ghasipura: The Swasthya Mitra scheme launched by the state government to help patients and their attendants avail proper healthcare service has gone haywire in Keonjhar district, thanks to lack of monitoring and apathetic attitude of some employees.
The state government had roped in personnel on contract for Swasthya Mitra scheme with the objective of providing proper healthcare services to patients and their attendants in the hospitals.
The Anandapur Sub-Divisional Hospital had appointed contractual staff for the scheme, but the employees were seen frequently playing truant during duty hours on flimsy excuses. Consequently, poor patients visiting the hospital did not get proper healthcare and attention.
According to sources, the government launched the Swasthya Mitra service in Anandapur in 2019 for which a consultancy agency ‘Care Security’ was roped in for the purpose. Eight persons were appointed for the hospital in which there were seven Swasthaya Mitras and one supervisor.
It was then expected that the scheme would be of great help for the poor tribal patients visiting the hospital as they could not properly explain their illness to the doctors or identify the wards due to lack of proper education and ignorance.
However, that was not to be as the Swasthya Mitra appointed in the hospital were frequently found skipping their duty and whiling away their time on mobile phones or in gossip among themselves. This has sparked resentment among the patients and their attendants visiting the hospital.
When contacted, Dillip Chadar, manager of the consultancy agency said the charges would be probed and steps taken for smooth functioning of the scheme.
PNN
