Focus on health in Punjab, but rural dispensaries a mess

Raj Sadosh

Abohar, August 1

While all eyes set on the opening of mohalla clinics in the state this Independence Day, some of the government dispensaries in the rural areas are crying for attention.

STEPS WILL BE TAKEN SOON

The matter is not in my knowledge. I will find out the facts and take the required steps soon. Sukhpal Singh, dist development officer

People fear such buildings may collapse in the coming days. One such building in Ghallu village near here, being managed by the Zila Parishad, is in a dilapidated condition. When it rains, the dispensary gets flooded filled with water. Even the walls start leaking.

Gurpal Kaur, a doctor, Mohinder Kumar, a pharmacy officer, Sapna Rani, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife, and a helper are posted in this dispensary. Besides Ghallu village, residents from nearby ‘dhanis’ (cluster of houses) also visit the dispensary for treatment. Children and pregnant women are also vaccinated here. However, the condition of the dispensary, which is more than two decades old, has become a cause for concern. The staff said after rains, cemented and concrete layers of the walls start falling due to the inundation. “The doctor in-charge has informed the department several times, demanding repairs of the building but to no avail.”

After the rains, the courtyard of the dispensary gets inundated too. When contacted, Zila Parishad official Pyare Lal said he had forwarded the requests for the repair work to the department, but now he had been transferred.