Athagarh in Cuttack district is having a Sub-Divisional Hospital (SDH), four CHCs and 18 PHCs. At present, the SDH is run with only with 13 doctors against the sanctioned posts of 23.
The Berhampura CHC runs with three doctors as against the sanctioned posts of seven; Maniabandha has five doctors against seven; Bindhanima and Lanpur are having four each against sanctioned posts seven each.
The PHCs at Gurudijhatia, Khuntuni, Jenapada, Jagiapada and Joranda which are supervised under Berhampura CHC, Nuapatna, Achalkote under Bindhanima CHC, Ekadal and Sagar under Kanpur CHC are run with only one doctor each.
These units open for two to three hours in the morning and remain closed on Sundays and other public holidays as per practice. Doctors appointed in these units don't come on regular basis; rather they give charge of writing prescription and handling the units on the pharmacists.
The Athagarh SDH, Tigiria Area Hospital, Badamba Area Hospital and Narsinghpur Area Hospital run with half of their sanctioned posts of doctors.
The doctors come for duty on relay basis and even sometimes the units remain with no doctor on duty.
The PHCs at Debabhuin, Viruda, Badanauput, Bangerisingha and Khairamada are having no doctor. These units solely depend on the pharmacists to run.
This apart, in most of the units, there is lack of adequate infrastructure for which patients of the locality can't take these units into confidence and those who have money rush to private clinics.
Talking to this paper, Rogi Kalyan Samiti member and social activist Sanatan Ray said that the doctors posted in Athagarh SDH don't stay in the headquarters and are attached to multiple clinics for business. No dentist and OG doctors are available here.