How serious is the State Government about the health of its citizens at a time when increasing heat of summer or transforming weather conditions have only made the people more vulnerable to various kind water and vector-borne diseases, becomes evident from the fact that there is only one doctor to look after health services in three departments in Haldwani — including the Haldwani municipal corporation (MCH), the Kathgodam healthcentre and the Haldwani jail for long.
With additional responsibilities of the Kathgodam health centre and the Haldwani jail, the part time doctor, has been able to give little time to look after the civic health of Haldwani city.
While Dr. Gaurav Kandpal, has to look after the health services at the Kathgoam health centre during morning hours, he sits at the MCH health office in the afternoon from 1 o’clock.
“After reviewing the health services at the MCH, I have to look after the health services at the Haldwnai jail”, said Kandpal.
This is a kind of arrangement till the new health officials are not posted at the MCH or other department, he added. “But I am here working as the part time municipal health officer at the MCH, he added. Hopefully, soon the problem of shortage of doctors will be solved, Kandapal expressed hope.
But this makeshift arrangement of municipal heath officer for the Haldwani municipal corporation has not proved to be sufficient given its huge population, apart from the civic waste management problem.
The matter of fact that though with diseases caused by water and vector-borne diseases are under control, as the health officials concerned claim here, to ensure proper disposal of civic wastes both biodegradable and non-biodegradable has been a major cause of concern for the MCH for long.
The Haldwani city generates about 50 metric tonne civic wastes both biodegradable and non-biodegradable per day. But there is no proper system to dispose the bio-degradable wastes scientifically after collecting it from different wards, said the officials concerned of the MCH.
However, there is a recycling plant to dispose the non biodegradable wastes, they added.