The Portuguese-era house that was donated by Paulo C Rodrigues and was used as a Government Primary School is crying for attention as it has not been looked after properly for the last many years even though it houses two government institutes.
While one half of the premises is used by the Directorate of Health Services which is operating its Rural Medical Dispensary for Orlim and Varca from this building, the other half is used to manage a balwadi.
Even though people visit the premises practically every day with at least the parents of the children coming to the balwadi, the compound housing the premises is overrun with weeds and wild growth giving the compound a look of utter neglect.
At the last Gram Sabha held on August 13, 2017 the status of the premises was discussed and it was resolved that the Government be asked to appoint a full time doctor for the Rural Medical Dispensary. Accordingly the panchayat has written to the Director of Health Services asking for a full time doctor at the dispensary.
Around two years back the Sub-Health Centre that was existing at Carmona was upgraded to a Rural Medical Dispensary which necessarily has to have a full time doctor appointed to the centre, but that was not done and for the last two years the matter is hanging fire.
In the meantime, a medical officer of the Chinchinim Health Centre visits the Carmona Medical Dispensary only twice a week on Fridays and Tuesdays and according to the panchayat the doctor is available for only two hours on both the days.
“It is for the government to appoint a full time doctor at the dispensary,” said the health officials at the Chinchinim Health Centre and that is what the panchayat is now trying to do.
As far as the balwadi is concerned there are 14 children enrolled of whom only one is a local child while others are children of the migrants staying in the village. The centre under the Women and Child development has 54 adolescents enrolled who are provided with cereals, pulses, jaggery and ghee every month.
Besides, there are 10 pregnant women and 14 lactating women who are provided nutrients and supplements regularly.
One half of the premises is used to run all these activities with three quarters of the premises used as a sitting place for the children and remaining quarter as a store room to keep all the material that is to be distributed to the various people.
However, what separates the class room from the store room is a mere old saree tied across and there is a crying need for renovation. “We want to renovate the premises without damaging the façade,” said Acting Sarpanch Savita Mascarenhas.
“For many years that building has been neglected and nothing has been done and that is why we want to do something to improve it,” said Savita while admitting that the panchayat members are yet to inspect it to identify what needs to be done.
Some locals complained about the toilet facilities. However, two toilets are constructed outside the premises but within the same compound but there is no direct access from the house to it and hence the staff has to walk right round the building to go to the toilet, which becomes difficult now because of the weeds growing in the monsoons.
The compound desperately needs cleanliness, said a source, as the weeds grown due to the monsoons have to be removed and the sooner this is done the better because the children cannot even use the slide installed for them as the area is totally overgrown with wild growth.
