Nagpur: The messy affairs being run in Primary Health Centres got exposed when the Minister for Health Dr Deepak Sawant on December 11 paid a surprise visit to Kondhali Primary Health Centre in Nagpur District. The Minister found two posts of doctors lying vacant despite sanction granted to fill up them. Dr Sawant was actually proceeding to Amravati but midway he visited the Health Centre taking everyone off guard. The Minister was informed that the two posts of specialized doctors were still not filled up and lying vacant. Similarly, the Centre lacked sanitary workers. Taking the matter seriously, the Minister immediately ordered District Health Officer to fill up the two posts and ensure sanitary workers are deployed at the Primary Health Centre.
Ambulance doctors missing:
To the exasperation of the visiting Minister, two doctors of 108 Ambulance were found missing. Presence of doctors in the ambulance on 24-hour basis is must. When the missing doctors came to know about the Minister’s visit, both of them rushed to the Health Centre only to be reprimanded severely by Dr Sawant.
Kondhali Primary Health Centre falls under 24X7 (IPHS) category. Three MBBS doctors are attached to this Centre. Interestingly, all the posts are lying vacant. The matter was being raised at local as well as MLA level. However, the administration, it seems, has not woken up from its deep slumber. The situation was experienced personally by the Minister when he paid a surprise visit.
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Wednesday01 Jan. 2025
Long study leaves:
The members Sunil Kedar, Aslam Sheikh, Amin Patel and Santosh Tarfe raised the issue of doctors of Nagpur rural areas proceeding on long leaves for pursuing higher studies hitting services at Primary Health Centres.
Replying to the issue, the Minister Dr Sawant agreed with the members and termed the problem a serious one. The Medical Officers of 12 Primary Health Centres in Nagpur District have proceeded on long leave with permission. But the health services have not been affected. The replacement of the doctors is not done. In this situation the proposal for creation of more posts of medical officers could not get approved. Hence, the vacant posts were filled up with subordinate medical officers and they were handed over charge of nearby Primary Health Centres as medical officers, informed the Minister.
Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )
