Urban Primary Health Center ailing for want of facilities, staff

Gajularamaram: Patients are forced to go for diagnostic tests at private diagnostics centres in spite of the existence of Urban Primary Health Center at Gajularamaram. Lack of equipment and paramedical staff has reduced the UPHC to a non-entity.

It has been four years since the centre was established with a 10 beds but there is only facility for out-patients. The hospital, which is supposed to run for 24 hours, is currently functioning from 9 am to 8 pm. At present, around 150 outpatients come regularly. There is a labour room and also an operation theater and but they remain closed due to lack of technical expertise, added Dr Navanitha.

There is a need for X-Ray machine, ECG, ultra sonogram machines, say locals. Dr Navanitha, medical officer says, "The health center has two medical officers who work in two shifts but due to lack of paramedical staff proper care to patients is not happening. There is a need for more staff and sanitary workers. Presently, there is only one. The doctors are struggling to handle the patients without sufficient other medical staff."

"We are only handling cases of viral infections, cold, throat infection etc Vaccination to children is given and we are planning to start critical and emergency cases if we get enough medical staff with the proper experience to support us," said the doctor, adding that they had requested the District Medical and Health Officer to provide the lab equipment and also deploy sufficient medical staff, but in vain.

Laxmi, a patient, said, "we want the government to provide the basic lab equipment and at present only blood tests are done and for other tests, we are forced to visit the private diagnostics centres."

"As there is no lab equipment at UPHC, for the tests, we visit diagnostics centres and then with the reports we are coming back this center," says, Ramaya, a patient attainder.