AILING HEALTH CENTRE
— Drivers hold doctors to ransom; play truant on duty
— 108 ambulances are used to shift patients to Margao,
— HO hires Private Cars to transport medical teams to health centres.
— DHS allotted new ambulances left to rust
Goemkapronn desk
CANACONA: In what could be termed as a misplaced priority and lack of government control, the Health Centre at Canacona seems to be in urgent need of attention.
Locals have come out strongly against the non-functioning of the only government hospital (Community Health Centre-CHC) in Canacona in providing health related services including the ambulance services for the benefits of the people.
CHC has 5 motor drivers, and at least two working ambulances (including a recently inaugurated ambulance) but presently does not run any ambulance or any other vehicles of CHC for people.
Doctors on duty utilize 108 ambulance facilities for emergency patient transportation to Margao or health staff engage a rented car for their movements to various sub-centres and other official matters.
It is alleged that out of five motor drivers at CHC Canacona, only two drivers report for duty, but disappear soon after joining duties.
The remaining three motor-drivers do not even report to duty, and no corrective measures are initiated by the authorities putting several patients under threat of inconveniences.
According to sources, a working Ambulance at CHC is reportedly made unworthy-of-the-road on purpose and is kept parked in the hospital garage without operations.
A new ambulance allotted to CHC as part of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the Directorate of Health, is also kept unused for the past 25 days.
In a serious allegation, sources informed the CHC drivers themselves to manually break down any working ambulance to escape duty.
An ambulance which had its worn-out tyres replaced recently, is also kept in the garage saying the ambulance is not in good condition.
Whenever a doctor on duty calls for a driver to shift the patient to Margao, the driver if any by chance is found on duty quickly informs the doctor on duty that the vehicle is broken down, and the doctor in turn requests the services of 108 ambulances to shift the patient to Margao.
“And this has been happening regularly and while 108 ambulances are on Margao trip, locally it becomes unavailable whenever an emergency comes–up”, said Vikas Bhagat.
Bhagat claimed a sinister plan is going on in CHC, where CHC-employed drivers are getting payments without any services, while the government pays 108 ambulances for their trips, and even hiring /renting Cars to transport medical staff and other office-related works.
The new ambulance worth approximately 25 lakhs of rupees was inaugurated by Canacona MLA/Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on 13th March, after DHS allotted to CHC Canacona as one amongst the ten such ambulances obtained under Power Grid’s CSR initiative to the Directorate of Health Services, Goa.
Health Officer Dr Jose Tavares gives a simple logical answer that the registration of this new ambulance is under process and hence it cannot be put to use, while stating the only other ambulance is under breakdown condition, justifying the use of 108 ambulances for shifting emergency patients to Margao and hiring a Rented Car for official matters.
Sources further alleged that of the 5 drivers, 3 are not-at-all all reporting to duty, while the remaining 2 drivers come to CHC, but disappear after informing security personnel. As happened in past instances, whenever the driver is called on mobile to report, the driver comes after a delay of over 1 hour, causing patients to suffer and risking his /her life.
Residents threatened to launch an agitation if the ambulances and drivers issue were not put in order and demanded disciplinary action against these erring drivers.
Activist Vikas Bhagat asked Canacona Health Officer Jose Tavares and especially Canacona MLA and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar to act immediately to put the drivers-matter in order and demanded Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane to take disciplinary action against erring CHC staff so that people do not suffer and the health facilities are not denied to the people of Canacona.
‘If this issue is not resolved or Canacona CHC is not put in order in the next 4 days, we will resolve it in our own style, as Canacona did in the past. This government knows to act only when people come on the road, and Canaconcars has shown the way in the past and got the issues resolved. We won’t lag behind to take any path required to resolve this issue.’, threatened Vikas Bhagat said.
