The world over, primary health centres are set up with the aim of providing free health care to the general public, especially the poor and needy. However, a Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike PHC seems to have something else for its objective. The PHC on 6th Temple Street at Vyalikaval, Malleswaram, houses construction material and labourers.
Set up to cater to the medicare needs of Dhobi Ghat residents, this PHC has been locked up for the past 20 days and is instead ‘accommodates’ construction workers from Tamil Nadu. Locals told this reporter that the PHC has been shut down and “rented out” to the workers building a temple arch on the road.
“The dispensary has been literally taken over by the workers. Construction material like cement and sand sacks are stored on the premises,” said Ramnarayan, a resident. And the physicians are not to be sighted.
Similarly, another resident, says the sudden closure of the PHC has left the washermen and women here in a lurch in terms of access to healthcare.
“The PHC is supposed to provide free medicare to those who cannot afford treatment elsewhere, but now that it is closed they have no other option,” he adds.
Other residents say the closure of the PHC centre especially during summer when epidemic diseases are on a high is very unfortunate especially for those who cannot afford treatment in private clinics.
However, the BBMP officials deny that the PHC has been rented out and that it has stopped offering treatment.