State sanctions funds to upgrade dist health centres

Statesman News Service

MALDA 3 DEC: The state government has sanctioned funds to upgrade 15 primary health centres (PHC) in this district.

According to the chief medical officer of health, Dr Srikanta Roy, the government has sanctioned more than Rs 70 lakh for each PHC. The Malda zilla parishad will implement the job of upgradation of the selected PHCs, from 2010.

Out of 35 PHCs in Malda, a total of 15 were selected for improvement, based on the needs of the local people in the different remote areas of this district. Later, a proposal was sent to the government.

Dr Roy said: “The government has planned to develop a PHC in each block (Malda has 15 blocks) to provide medical services in the indoor. With this in mind, 10 beds have been set up for the patients."

Out of the other 20 PHCs, the district health authorities have decided to open outdoor medical services in eight to nine PHCs, including 24-hour service, only for pregnant mothers in cases of delivery. Eleven PHCs will provide only outdoor services to the people.

It should be noted that one PHC, which is located at Hamidpur in Kaliachak-II block, is running from a rented house. The building at Hamidpur, which housed the PHC originally, was eroded away due to Ganga's erosion a few year ago. The Malda zilla parishad has recently selected a plot of land for the construction of the PHC.

Earlier, the state had allotted funds to improve the infrastructure of ten block primary health centres (BPHC). In the first phase, renovation works for three, out of five BPHCs had been completed. But the renovation work of two out of five BPHCs, located at Hariachandrapur-II and Ratua-I is yet to be completed. The fund was allotted in 2005.

In the second phase, the district administration took initiative to begin renovation work for another five BPHCs. The renovation work in four BPHC has been completed. In the Hatimari BPHC in Gazole, work is on.

The district has six rural hospitals. Out of six, the district administration has requested the state government to convert the Chanchal rural hospital into a sub-divisional hospital, and to improve its infrastructures. The request reflects growing public demand.

In Chanchal sub-division, another 60-bed rural hospital, located in Harishchandrapur-I is awaiting improvement. At present the basic infrastructure of this rural hospital is very poor.