Kerbari Public Health Centre Suffers from Basic Amenities

Government urged for water, electricity, staff quarters & proper road

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Though water and electricity are considered the basic needs of any medical institution for its proper function yet the Kerbari Public Health Centre (PHC) of Dollungmukh circle in the newly created Kamle district has been deprived of both these amenities for several years now.

This is despite the fact that to overcome the flaws in public health, the Arunachal Government had introduced the ‘Public Private Partnership’ (PPP) system in the care delivery system in the remote health facilities and to further improve health facilities across the State in 2005.

Through this initiative, the PHCs, and the CHCs (Community Health Centres) are managed and operated through a selected Non Governmental Organizations (NGO). Under the project, till date 16 health facilities have been handed over to five NGOs for a period of one year and the contract is extendable subject to the approval of Government of India.

There are 11 PHCs run by Karuna Trust, two by Future Generation Arunachal, one each by JAC Prayas, NN Charitable Society and MM Charitable Trust.

The Naku Nangbia Charitable Society (NNCS) took over the overall work of the Kerbari PHC in the April, 2017; and since then there has been significant improvement in terms of cleanliness, working staffs and PHC infrastructure. However, nothing has been done with respect to regular supply of water and electricity at the PHC.

As informed by NNCS chairman Nangbia Amar Dui, the problems of water and electricity are not new. The PHC has been facing the need of water and electricity since its establishment.

As a result, the most challenging factor for the staffs working in the PHC is during the time of emergency delivery. Interestingly, since the establishment of this centre, no delivery case has been done in the PHC. Most of the time, the patients are referred to the nearest hospital in Gogamukh at Lakhimpur in Assam or at TRIHMS in Naharlagun here for such delivery cases.

A senior doctor from the PHC informed that due to the shortage of water and electricity, it is impossible to execute the cases of delivery. She added that that only a few tests like internal check-up and Amniocentesis are being performed at the centre.

The NNCS chairman also informed that there is no specific documented demarcation of the PHC land. “The land belongs to a local from the area and if in future the land owner claims the land then we are helpless as an NGO,” adding, “We are not supposed to take responsibility of it as it is the matter concerning for the Health department.

He further informed that the previous PHC was located on a government-allotted plot, a few kilometers away from the present location. The previous health care building is now renovated and being used by the local people of the area.

“It’s upon the State government and the department concerned to take action on it,” he added.

Meanwhile, following the initiative of the civil society to boost the performance index of the PHC, the health centre is reportedly performing well beside. However, the basic requirements of electricity and water supply must be made regular as soon as possible.

The chairman also informed that beside the water and electricity problem, the means of transportation is the other challenging factor for the NGO as they have to travel long distances to reach the health sub-centers for management work.

Due to the delay in the funding system, proper management and operation of PHC and the sub-centers are impossible in due time and as a result, the people suffer, he said. The chairman also informed that as there are no staff quarters, the staff nurses have to stay in rented houses.

Another key issue is that there is no proper dumping ground of the PHC. Health care needs sites for dumping the waste. Every department in the centre generates waste and the overall product is waste of different kinds. The health care waste includes infectious chemicals, expired pharmaceutical and radioactive items and sharp items. Health-care waste contains potentially harmful microorganisms that can infect hospital patients, health workers and the general public.

Though there is a toilet and water basin in the PHC, there is no water supply. Though water storage has been constructed in the nearby village, there is neither water nor any water pipe connection.

The chairman hopes that the new elected representative of the constituency will act on the needs of the PHC. He had also earlier appraised the matter to the previous representative , several times, but there was no positive outcome.

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