15-day deadline set for infrastructural facilities, including manpower; sarpanch says health centre caters to four constituencies
MARGAO
The Balli village panchayat on Thursday has called upon the government to tone up the facilities at the Balli Primary Health Centre, saying the health centre, which caters to over half a dozen villages, besides Cuncolim town, spread across four Assembly constituencies, has been a neglected lot over the years.
Village Sarpanch Rajesh Faldesai said that patients are shunted from the Balli Primary Health Centre to Hospicio and back for want of adequate number of doctors and facilities.
Addressing the media in the presence of the panchayat members, Sarpanch Rajesh warned that the panchayat members along with Balli villagers has threatened to launch an agitation if their demands to tone up the health infrastructure and appointment of additional doctors are not met within 15 days.
“There’s an X-ray machine at the Balli Primary Health Centre. But, the X-ray facility is available only on alternate days for want of a full-fledged technician. A dialysis unit has been set up at the PHC, but is not put to use for want of doctors,” the sapranch said.
He pointed out that patients brought to the Balli PHC are more often shifted to the Hospicio hospital for want of adequate staff and facilities.
Lamenting that Balli PHC has no Hospital Visiting Committee for the moment, the sarpanch demanded that the panchayat should be taken into confidence before the panel is constituted by the government.
He also complained about the arrogant attitude of a doctor towards the patients, demanding that Health Minister Vishwajit Rane immediately transfer the doctor from the PHC. “The Balli PHC has areas which are represented by the four MLAs consisting of Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar, Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias, Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues and Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar. It is indeed shocking that the Balli PHC is craving for attention from the government despite the fact that the areas under its jurisdiction are being represented by as many as four MLAs,” he lamented.
Replying to a question, the Sarpanch pointed out that the Balli village panchayat discussed the issue of Balli PHC at the panchayat meeting held on Thursday, wherein it was resolved to set a 15-day deadline on the government to tone up the infrastructural facilities, including manpower or face an agitation.
