PERNEM: The Tuem Community Health Center building was upgraded at a cost of Rs 3.66 crore but the locals are still not happy since the centre still does not provide the basic facilities.
The centre caters to whole of Pernem taluka but it does not have the basic facilities. Only the building was upgraded and not the facilities. People feel that since the centre has been upgraded, all the facilities should be available.
The centre does not even have a medical officer and the post is vacant for the last five years. The centre’s medical store also does not have stock of all the medicines, due to which patients are referred to nearby medical stores.
The centre has a X-Tay machine but no full time radiologist. The radiologist is available only twice a week, due to which people have to either go to the district hospital at Mapusa or wait for the radiologist. The Centre also has an ultrasound machine but no radiologist due to which no patients visit this hospital for ultrasound tests.
A gynaecologist is available twice a week at the centre no patient visits the centre consultation. The health centre has only one general physician who has to attend to 50 patients a day.
The centre has three ambulances but they are out of order and they were found loaded with tyres and other stock.
No major surgery was conducted at this centre for years; not even a delivery conducted for the last many years. Though there are 20 beds in the maternity ward, but patients are either transferred to the district hospital at Mapusa or to GMC.
A local Bhagwant said, “The doctors in this centre do not follow any timing. Recently, I had taken my daughter there for a check up. I went at 3 pm since the lunch break gets over by 3; but when I went there, the doctor was not available. Till 3.30 he was still in the rest room. Since by daughter had severe fever, she needed immediate attention. This hospital needs at least two doctors to attend to the patients.”
An official from the Centre said that since it is a primary health centre, not all facilities are available 24×7. To get all the facilities, the Centre needs to be upgraded to secondary level, he added.
