The Orissa High Court has expressed deep concerns over the pathetic conditions of public health centres in Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts.
The damning report submitted by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) says in many places a single doctor or worse still, a pharmacist, was found running the entire community health centre and the patients were forced to seek private medical care at unaffordable personal expense.
Besides, unavailability of basic medical health infrastructure too X-ray, ECG and ultra sound was also a cause of concern.
A division Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Muralidhar and Judge M. S. Raman went through report of DLSAs that came up with reports by visiting every CHC and by sampling situation of Public Health Centres.
“Stating that the reports depicted a dismal picture of the State of public health services in Kalahandi and Nabarangpur,” the Bench said, “while the dire situation that existed during the COVID-19 pandemic may now have eased, the fact remains that the basic problems impeding public health infrastructure are unaddressed.”
Sufficient medical personnel, nurses and staff were not found not only at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHHs) in both districts but also at the CHCs and PHCS tahasils and blocks of the both districts.
“The bed capacities are inadequate. The buildings in several places are in a dilapidated condition. In many places a single doctor or worse still, a pharamcist, was found running the entire CHC and the patients were forced to seek private medical care at unaffordable personal expense,” judges noted.
“The court would like to reiterate that the concerns expressed by the petitioner are not limited to the situation that prevailed during the COVID 19 pandemic but about the general status of the public health system in the two districts. And yet Kalahandi and Nabarangpur are just symptomatic of the general condition of the public health system in the other districts in Odisha,” the judgment mentioned.
Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs) of Kalahandi and Nabarangpur were directed to file an affidavit giving updated status on each of aspects including filling up of all the vacant posts of doctors, nurses and staff, stocking of medicines, the repairs to the buildings and general infrastructure including availability of the facilities of ambulance, X ray, ECG, ultra sound and other testing facilities on or before May 1, 2023 each. Both CDMOs would have to remain present in virtual mode on the next date – May 1.
