Appalling condition of health centre at Borholla

Sorry state of Health sector in CM's constituency exposed

From a Correspondent

JORHAT, April 2: Yet another case of corruption and government apathy towards the health sector has come to light following an investigation in Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s home constituency wherein the Gorajan Medical Sub-Centre at Borholla Village Panchayat under Titabor Subdivision of Jorhat district is functioning from a ration shop situated just opposite the the Gorajan HS School with no doctor but only one nurse to cater to the patients coming in from more than 20 villages in the adjoining areas. The centre also lacks electricity, uril and water supply.

In the worst case scerio, women are being administered vasectomy in an open room without any curtains and covers.  The medical sub-centre does not even have a door! Thankfully, there has not been any incident of theft till now as the people of the area have shown exemplary will power and determition to keep the medical centre running. But it is not that the area lacks a proper building to house a full-fledged medical sub-centre. The one constructed by the Health Department way back in 2008 is of the lowest category of construction with no stability of the foundation at all. The contractors have allegedly siphoned of more than 80 per cent of the allotted funds while utilizing a mere 20 per cent towards the construction. 

Talking to The Sentinel, Baneshwar Sonowal, secretary of Gorajan Sildubi Development Committee said, “The present medical sub-centre is functioning in the premises of the ration shop on rent since many years. The centre lacks the basic amenities needed to treat ailing patients. Worst is when pregnt women come for check-up. There is no separate cabin and most minor operations are done here by the head nurse.  Though many top heath officials have visited this centre to take stock of the situation, their promises turn out to be useless once they reach Jorhat. Actually they too cannot be blamed as they are bound to do as directed. The State Health Department had initially sanctioned funds for the building of the Gorajan sub-medical health centre just a few meters away from here. But under the prevalent commission system, a deadly nexus of contractors with corrupt officials has affected us. We are still to see the opening of a full-fledged medical centre equipped with modern amenities and a doctor.”

Head Nurse Tulumoni Gayan said, “Sometimes I feel ashamed when I have to perform antetal observations and also surgical procedures of vasectomy with men coming to the ration shop, getting inquisitive and wanting to have a look when a woman cries in labor pain. Also there is no bathroom here making it difficult for patients during urine and other tests. My repeated request at the Joint Director of Health’s office in Jorhat has also yielded zero result. At night the problem becomes grave when I have to come all the way from my village to attend to a serious patient. It is only because of the corrupt officials who have a nexus with the contractors that we have not been able to shift our centre to the actual building which had been constructed with the most inferior materials. Stranded livestock have taken shelter in 7- 8 rooms of the building.”