Villages demand one extra doctor for Parasangaswewa hospital

Several requests had been made to the North Central Province Health Minister and the Director of Provincial Health Services in this regard, but they had fallen on their deaf ears

The villagers in Parasangaswewa staged a protest on April (19) demanding that the North Central Province Health Authorities appoint another doctor for Parasangaswewa hospital in Anuradhapura.

The protesters say that the only doctor is in the habit of going on leave at weekends and on special holidays and the patients are compelled to undergo various difficulties. One villager said that a heart patient had died on the way while being transferred to Anuradhapura hospital as the doctor was absent during the New Year season.

A UPFA Pradeshiya Sabha member said that at least, the services of two doctors is essential for the patients who come to this hospital from more than 30 Grama Sevaka divisions to get medicine.

He further said that several requests had been made to the North Central Province Health Minister and the Director of Provincial Health Services in this regard, but they had fallen on their deaf ears.

The hospital staff also has no alternative but to transfer the serious patients to the Anuradhapura hospi- tal in case of an emergency.

The NCP Provincial Director of Health Services said that he had requested the Ministry of Health to appoint a team of doctors for the North Central Province hospitals which are urgently in need of doctors.