Single doctor runs Dharampur health centre, six posts vacant

Only one doctor is managing the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Dharampur in Solan district as six posts of Medical Officer are vacant for a year. The lone Medical Officer not only attends to hundreds of outdoor patients every day but also those admitted at the facility, besides taking care of the administrative work and emergencies.

Located on the accident-prone Parwanoo-Solan section of the National Highway (NH)-5, the CHC has little to offer to an accident victim during an emergency. The helpless staff advises patients to either go to a private medical college at Sultanpur or Solan to avail of better medical care.

Solan is the home turf of Health and Family Welfare Minister DR Shandil, who has not been able to provide any respite to residents. The issue of the lack of staff and facilities had also echoed at a recent meeting of the District Grievances Committee chaired by Shandil Without any positive outcome.

The health staff had apprised the Director Health Services of the precarious condition of the CHC in September 2024 but their request to fill six vacant posts was yet to be fulfilled. Worst still, an ultrasound machine lying defunct for over two years has not been replaced. Another request made by the Block Medical Officer for a replacement in May 2023 did not yield any result. Expectant mothers are the worst sufferers, as they have to visit private doctors.

The apathy of the state government in failing to provide both staff and facilities is forcing local residents to avail of costly healthcare in the private sector.

Figures secured from the Police Department reveals that 30 accidents have taken place in the past one year on the road stretch that has led to 29 casualties and nine injuries.

The health centre has been battling a paucity of funds though a compensation of Rs 3.67 crore was received from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for dismantling its old building years ago.

These funds were to be spent on the construction of a new building.

Though the issue of the reallocation of the funds for setting up a 50-bed new facility is being persistently pursued with the state

government, it has yielded no result.

Each time a proposal is moved, a plethora of objections are raised, including justification for the estimated Budget, thus highlighting their lack of priority for this key health institute.