The lakhanpur Community Health Centre (CHC) is the lifeline of lakhanpur block of over 1.65 lakh population. Although the hospital was set up since 1961 with 16 beds, due to Government negligence, the hospital is not able to give proper service.
It seems that tall claims made by the State Health Department to facilitate affordable and quality medical treatment to common people have fallen flat in lakhanpur block.
The worst affected are the areas along the Odisha-Chattisgarh border as the posts of doctors and paramedics are insufficient to treat a large population.
Former lakhanpur Block Chairman Goutam Pradhan said that the patients coming to this hospital on referral from Kanaktora, Palsada, Adhapada and Kumbharbandh primary health centre are not getting proper medical facilities in lakhanpur CHC due to shortage of doctors.
As a result, they are being diverted to the District Headquarters Hospital or private hospitals with high expense for the patients. In this hospital, out of 6 doctors, only one MBBS doctor is available.
In the Gyanecology, Paediatrics and Medicine departments, no doctors are posted since long. For administrative work, District Surveilance Health Officer Dr Manoj Kumar Pati is managing the job for the name sake.
Although pharmacists, staff nurse, lab technicians are available, the hospital has become standstill without doctors.
Dr Pati said, “We have been sending regular reports regarding staff shortage to the CDMO office, but in vain. Besides, due to shortage of doctors, we are forced to manage with the present staff. The staff members available are not enough to carry out the work on a daily basis.”
The x-ray machine of the hospital has become defunct along with the operation theatre.
Public dissatisfaction is rising due to no steps by the Government in spite of discussion in meetings of Rogi Kalyan Samiti. likewise, grants received for construction of a postmortem room since long, has not been used.
The dead bodies are being sent to the Jharsuguda DHH for postmortem.