Lack of basic facilities at the Primary Health Centre of Purva Cansarvornem, Pernem has forced the taluka residents to visit the Community Health Centre at Tuem and the North Goa District Asilo Hospital at Mapusa.
The shortcomings are such that the PHC lacks equipment to check blood pressure, diabetes and carry out other simple tests. The centre has a lone general physician looking after the patients who are forced to queue up at the centre for regular checkups and then return home late.
The centre has an X-Ray machine but the radiologist is available only twice a week. People prefer to visit the North Goa District Asilo Hospital at Mapusa for X-Rays. To add to this, the PHC has no medical officer. On the other hand, the villagers have been demanding for a full-time gynaecologist since the last 20 years but their complaints have fallen flat. The gynaecologist is available only on Friday and as such women are forced to travel 20-30 kms all the way to North Goa District Asilo Hospital at Mapusa to avail the services of a gynaecologist.
The PHC’s cup of woes seem to never end as the centre lacks an orthopaedic surgeon and a canteen and is faced with a shortage sweepers and helpers to maintain cleanliness.
The Centre has three ambulances but a lone driver. In case of an emergency, people have to wait for hours for the ambulance to arrive to refer the patients to the hospital. There have been instances wherein in the absence of a driver, the locals have been forced to drive the ambulance to refer the patient to the PHC or to another hospital.
A local of Hassapur village said, “My uncle was bitten by snake few months ago and when we visited this centre, they told us to refer him to North Goa District Asilo at Mapusa as there was no doctor available. We were provided with an ambulance but without a driver. Since my uncle’s condition was serious, a local truck driver helped us in referring him to Asilo”.
Sources stated that the staff on duty often report late on duty.
A local Mahadev said in the absence of a medical officer even basic medicines are not available at the PHC.
Sources further informed that the centre health committee has been inactive for quite some time which is one of the reasons for the shortcomings.
When the proposed Mopa airport in the pipeline becomes operational it will lead to an increase in population and as such the upgradation of the PHC is the need of the hour.
When contacted Dr Wilfred Miranda Health officer of Purva Cansarvornem PHC said, “Presently we are not looking at upgrading the health centre because there are several other things which need to be put in place. Since the international airport is in pipeline and there is still time for it to be operational and before that the PHC will already be upgraded”.
