SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
GARY AZAVEDO
Heaps of accumulated garbage lie strewn outside the Assolna sub-health centre situated near the Assolna police outpost emitting a nauseating stench as well as a possible health hazard to the visitors to this health facility and the nearby Assolna residents.
More than a dozen-odd garbage bags could be observed lying gathered amidst scattered plastic bags, sanitary waste such as diapers, etc. behind this sub-health centre surrounded by a government anganwadi and government primary school. In the compound, one could observe broken swings, unused concrete slide and an abandoned four-wheeler covered with shrubs. The government anganwadi door and wall had posters stuck onto it advertising a private playschool and nursery.
When the Herald correspondent visited this sub-health centre on Friday morning around 11 am, it was locked with locals informing Herald that its timings have now been revised to the afternoon between 2 pm and 4 pm from the earlier morning timings of 9 am to 11 am on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“Prior to this ongoing pandemic, one could visit this sub-health centre in the morning between 9 am and 11 am but now it’s open between 2 pm and 4 pm. The present timings are very inconvenient for the senior citizens who normally take their siesta at this time. They would visit the sub-health centre in the mornings for their regular diabetes check up,” disclosed an elderly Assolna resident who didn’t wish to disclose her name. She added that the sub-health centre had just three staffers – a doctor, nurse and helper.
An elderly fisherwoman, who on being cajoled provided just her surname – Colaco stated that if she was ill, especially at night, she would travel to Margao as the sub-health centre doctor was unavailable. Colaco added that the other Assolna residents would consult the private doctors in the nearby villages of Sirlim-Chinchinim or Dramapur. She praised the previous doctor who she claimed would visit the Cavelossim sub-health centre between 4 pm and 5 pm till he suffered a cardiac arrest.
When contacted, Assolna sarpanch Xavier Almeida said the garbage was frequently cleared in the evening by their workers. “But late at night, people are dumping their waste like diapers, sanitary pads, etc, that the stray dogs are scattering. We had thought of installing a net over the collected garbage as well as CCTV cameras at the site so as to identify the culprits but decided against it as now another permanent site has been assured to us by the Directorate of Sports near the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) grounds,” divulged Almeida.
