SANGUEM: Despite drawing attention to the deplorable conditions at the Sanguem Primary Health Centre nearly a month ago, the situation has further deteriorated, with the centre now facing a critical condition. The health centre continues to operate without a much-needed generator, even though frequent power failures are a common occurrence in the town.
The severity of the health centre’s operation became apparent on Thursday when a couple involved in an accident just two kilometres away from the facility had to be transported in a private vehicle. This was because the ambulance assigned to the Sanguem Health Centre was unavailable. Furthermore, the 108 ambulance stationed at the centre was also unavailable for reasons unknown.
To compound the issue, when the accident victims, who were bleeding from the nose, arrived at the centre, a power failure occurred. The attending nurse was forced to provide care using the light from her mobile phone. Due to the low voltage, the PHC’s state-of-the-art X-ray machine was also non-functional, preventing the assessment of possible fractures.
The absence of a generator and available ambulances has put the health and safety of Sanguem residents at risk. The unavailability of essential medical services in emergency situations raises serious concerns about the level of healthcare accessibility in the forested taluka.
