Though the PHC has a generator, there is no one to operate it
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
BICHOLIM: About 20 patients of Bicholim Primary Health Centre had to undergo anxious moments for three hours on Sunday night and it had nothing to do with their ailments. The culprit: a power supply failure and the staff’s lack of knowledge in operating the hospital generator.
The power supply went off following strong winds in Bicholim at about 8 pm on Sunday. Most of the areas of Bicholim were plunged into darkness, including the Bicholim PHC. Though the hospital had a power generator, there was no one to operate it.
“After about an hour in darkness, we asked the nurses and other staff of PHC to switch on the generator, but they did not even have the courtesy to attend to our requests,” said Sagar Thanekar, whose wife was admitted in PHC.
“They bluntly told us that though there is a generator, they did not know to operate it and gave us a candle instead,” said Thanekar.
“The rains have not yet started and we have started facing problems. Though there is a big building and facilities, there is no good staff to look after it, thereby rendering it useless,” complained Thanekar.
When Herald visited the PHC Bicholim following the complaint it was found that the entire PHC was in darkness. The staff had given just one candle in the women’s ward, while there was hardly any staff seen in the premises. The watchman was trying to show people the way with the help of a torch.
The patients told Herald that there was no current for over three hours and the staff was also reluctant to put on the generator.
