Patients feel the heat at Maloya dispensary

Charu Chhibber

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 28

The Maloya Civil Dispensary — that gets over 120 patients on a daily basis — is crying for space and staff.

Located in a busy labyrinth of Maloya village, the dispensary witnesses a continuous flow of patients, most from economically weaker sections, who cannot afford medical treatment at private hospitals. However, waiting for their turn at the dispensary is a task in itself for patients.

Housed in small premises, the dispensary has three rooms, including the medical officer’s room that doubles up as the OPD.

“Our waiting hall for patients remains congested through the work hours due to which many patients and their attendants have to wait outside. The problem gets worse in summers and during rains,” said Dr Upasna Thakur, medical officer, Maloya dispensary.

She said during rains, entry to the dispensary gets flooded and the slush makes it impossible for the staff and patients to enter.

“We have to get the slush cleared and get mud filled time and again to maintain the ground level,” she said.

To add to it, the dispensary has been facing staff crunch. With only one doctor, patients have to rely on repeating medicines from their previous prescription in her absence. Apart from her, the dispensary has one pharmacist, 3 auxiliary midwife nurses (ANM), one class 4 employee and a sweeper. The dispensary needs at least two more ANMs, who are expected to join soon, disclosed Dr Thakur. “Even if we get additional staff, we don’t have enough room to accommodate them,” the MO rued.

She said a request to the authorities concerned has been sent for the expansion of the dispensary and she was hopeful it would be taken up on a priority basis.

Apart from that, the dispensary’s campus has two residential complexes, built for staff, which have been lying vacant for years, informed an official of the Health Department. “The space can be utilised for patient care but the authorities seem to be least bothered,” complained a Maloya resident, Sudarshan Singh. Staff members and patients complained that the dispensary campus was being utilised as a common pathway and also as a playground by neighbourhood children. Garbage could be seen strewn all over and dispensary staff said it were the area residents who littered the campus.

“If we try to talk to them about it or ask them not to throw garbage on dispensary campus, they pick up fights with us,” said a staff member.

The MO conceded that she had to ask the dispensary sweeper every morning to clean up the garbage.

The dispensary’s problems do not end here. Staff complained that the gate remained open at night which led to stray cattle, dogs and cats coming in, leading to further mess on the campus.

“There is a marriage palace right in front of the dispensary, which hosts several functions in the daytime. It leads to a lot of disturbance. There should be no such place near a health care centre,” opined Avtar Singh, an area resident, adding that there was a proposal to upgrade the dispensary to a 50-bedded hospital, which has been hanging fire for years as the Municipal Corporation authorities were “not bothered” about it.

Meanwhile, Director, Health Services, UT, Dr Rakesh Kashyap, said the dispensary was under the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.