Central teams give thumbs down to health centres
UNION HEALTH MINISTRY TEAMS EXPRESSED CONCERN AT THE BLOOD SHORTAGE AND POOR BLOOD COLLECTION AT RURAL HEALTH CENTRES
DHANBAD: Union health ministry teams visiting Jharkhand to assess the implementation of central government schemes said facilities and infrastructure were inadequate at rural health centres in Dhanbad and Lohardaga districts.
The teams expressed concern at the blood shortage and poor blood collection at rural health centres. The teams also expressed dissatisfaction at the achievements in immunisation, institutional deliveries and family planning.
The Union health ministry has sent two teams of doctors to evaluate national health programmes in the two districts. One team led by Dr Rahul Agrawal is monitoring the situation in Lohardagga while anoth- er team led by Dr Shashikala is examining health centres in Dhanbad.
On Wednesday, a team visited the community health centre and other sub-health centres in Baghmara block in Dhanbad. After inspecting out-patient department, operation theatre, labour room, dressing room, stock of medicines, the team members said the facilities are not enough to cater to the large number of patients who arrive here.
The team members talked to the patients and inquired about their problems.
Earlier, on Tuesday a central government team inspected Chasnala community health centre (CHC) in Jharia block and Baliapur CHC.
Team coordinator Dr Shashikala declined to comment on their findings at Dhanbad health centres and said the team would hand over a report to the Union health ministry.
Dr Shivshankar Harijan, deputy director of the state health department, who accompanied the team, said the central team would assess implementation of health plans at all eight community health centres in Dhanbad and five in Lohardagga.
State health department officials said reports were received earlier that family planning, institutional delivery and immunisation coverage were poor in these districts, so the central teams had come to assess the situation.
Dhanbad civil surgeon Dr Arun Kumar Sinha said the central team’s visit would benefit the district. On its recommendation, the central government would consider enhancing facilities at health centres, he said.