Goemkapronn desk
CANACONA: The only government hospital (Community Health Centre) supposed to provide medical care for ailing patients has instead become a reason for inviting a horde of diseases particularly vector-borne diseases to the people of Canacona.
The CHC complex cries for attention, as people are scared of the impending health hazards with some mosquito breeding hubs, over-flowing septic tanks, porous water tanks, overgrown weeds and plants, broker vehicles, and several ills being publicly seen in the complex.
Garbage trash is found strewn and dumped all over the compound of the CHC complex and the view doesn’t give any indication that a hospital is run inside the building providing health care to the patients.
The entire surroundings of the CHC building are full of dirt and trash, and overgrown plants and trees, on which any reptiles including snakes can easily climb and reach into the Wards housing patients and other hospital units.
The Sanitation is not at all maintained around the hospital building as the entire complex gives sore eyesight, with the enormous growth of weeds and unattended plants, the area has become a home to the venomous and non-venomous snakes, rodents merry around, the overflowing septic tank has created a Moon crate type-of-sorts, where not only mosquitoes but pets like rats, dogs and cats make merry, and only pigs and buffaloes remains to used it to beat the scorching heat.
The water tank used by the CHC to provide water to the patients too has started to release water and another water-pond has taken shape in the compound where mosquitoes breed freely.
The rear and one-side of the CHC have a number of broken vehicles including ambulances just dumped over the place
An Electricity Transformer placed inside the compound is fully covered with Weeds and plant growth so that it is not too impossible to approach it in the event of it having to be attended to if it breaks down.
With an almost broken-down water meter box, the continuously flowing water has created another pond in the open space surrounding it, again becoming yet another mosquito breeding ground.
A concerned resident, Kissan Dessai, who saw this mess and shabby existence of the CHC-Canacona after inviting this correspondent to click some pictures of the situation informed, ‘
“The water used by hospitals doesn’t look safe and healthy, especially when this water is used from the porous Water–tank. It looks like the dirty water re-enters the water tank used by CHC for cooking, drinking supplying to the in-house patients, etc. It is seen, the water which flows from the tank dries up or re-enters the tank somewhere.”
‘People who are infected with Vector-borne diseases come to this hospital for treatment, whereas, this hospital itself is a hotbed for the breeding of mosquitoes. How can people remain safe?”, asks Dessai.
‘Incidentally, this hospital taking care of the health needs of the people also holds awareness seminars and programs to the public of maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings, holding various camps and interacting with people living in shanties and other critical places, but doesn’t understand the needs to maintain its own hospital and surroundings clean.’, said a concerned resident outside the hospital.
‘With no proper collection Bin at the place Trash and Garbage are always found dumped on the roadside (NH66) just across the CHC complex, and it is seen by every authority including the councillors and even MLA, but no one cares or even directs to provide a proper Garbage-Bin to collect this garbage and it is happening in full public view which is happening daily and regularly, Dessai alleged.
A patient who was admitted with fever and similar ailments and was discharged from CHC informed, that the wards are heavily infested with mosquitoes, not only in night time, but mosquito bites even in day-time.
‘When I complained, one of the hospital staff told me Mosquitoes are always everywhere not particularly at the hospital. The staff asked me whether mosquitoes were not found at my home, and the outgoing patient informed me.
‘It is unfortunate that the sanitation workers of this hospital give talks to all others explaining ways and methods to maintain cleanliness in surroundings but fail to maintain the same cleanliness at the place(Hospital) where it is more choired’, informed Dessai.
Dessai not only blamed the Health Officer of Canacona but said, the various authorities including the Dy. Collector, Mamlatdar are located a stone’s throw-away distance from CHC, and moreover, the GLA Speaker and Canacona MLA regularly pass and even sometimes visit this hospital, but sadly no authorities other than sometimes ask for availability of doctors and facilities at the CHC, have ever paid any heed to the disastrous situation of Cleanliness and maintenance of the CHC Complex.’, Dessai.
