Though a community health centre building was set up at a cost of 1.5 crore, with the aid from World Bank two decades ago, the centre is mired in problems.
The health centre with 30 beds is visited by a large number of patients for treatment. However, a shortage of doctors is haunting the centre and is affecting the treatment of the patients.
The health centre has a labour ward, general ward, operation theatre, minor OT, vaccination division, laboratory, pharmacy, X-ray room, dental wing and ambulance services.
No permanent doctor has been recruited to the centre for the last one and a half years.
Posts lying vacant
The sanctioned posts are four specialist doctors and an MBBS doctor. All the posts are lying vacant.
Dr Tanuja is serving in the centre on a contract basis, while Suntikoppa PHC’s Ayush doctor Dr Rajeshwari has been deployed to the community health centre.
Along with doctors, even the posts of paramedical staff are lying vacant. Out of the sanctioned posts of eight nurses, only three positions are filled.
Instead of two pharmacists, one pharmacist is recruited on a contract basis. The post of first division assistant and second division assistant are lying vacant.
Pathetic condition
The community health centre gets cases of accident, murder and suicide. The post mortem is difficult at the centre, owing to the pathetic condition of the mortuary. Though the Zilla Panchayat had proposed to repair the mortuary, the same has not materialised so far.
The disposal of garbage has become a major issue in front of the health centre. Even the quarters of the doctors are in a deplorable condition, which needs to be repaired.
The villagers have urged the concerned authorities to lay a park in front of the community health centre.
Dr Rajeshwari, a doctor at the health centre, said that the sanctioned posts have not been filled in the hospital so far.
More number of patients visit the health centre on Saturdays, she said.
B S Ananthakumar, a Taluk Panchayat member, said, “Owing to the shortage of doctors and paramedical staff, the public is facing inconvenience.”