Team Herald
PONDA: Following an inspection held on Wednesday by Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, it was announced that the old Ponda Primary Health Centre (PHC) will start providing medical services to people from Ponda taluka from Saturday.
The Priol MLA had a look at the ongoing repair work and installation of various medical facilities at the Centre.
Sources stated that Gaude has been given charge of supervising Ponda taluka.
Speaking to media persons, Gaude said that the repair work is completed and the shifting of medical facilities from the Ponda Sub District Hospital (SDH) will be completed by Friday. Gaude said the old PHC building was under the possession of the Art and Culture Department and is being handed over to the Health Department soon.
It may be recalled that the SDH has been converted into a full-fledged COVID hospital. Gaude pointed out that when that happened, two weeks ago, the medical facilities had been shifted to the Dilasa Hospital in Farmagudi. However, in order to reduce the burden at this hospital, a decision had been taken to utilise the old Ponda PHC as well.
He explained that facilities like immunisation, providing TB and Leprosy Medicine, will be provided at the old PHC, which would also be the taluka nodal point for carrying out awareness programmes like that on breast cancer etc.
“We are also considering providing emergency medical services to the people of Ponda after discussing the same with the doctors,” Gaude added.
Dr Vikas Kuvelkar of the Ponda SDH explained that the OPD facility has already been shifted to the Dilasa Hospital at Farmagudi and that the second floor of that hospital has been reserved as antenatal and postnatal wards.
He also added that there are around 20 COVID patients at the Ponda COVID hospital, which has a capacity of 100 beds.
