Published On : Thu, Aug 27th, 2015

NMC’s paralyzed health services: Mockery of needy patients!

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Gross negligence by Ruling party, and Opposition too

Aayurvedic panchkarm chikitsa and anusandhan kendr   (1)
Nagpur: How can the status of second capital of Maharashtra (Nagpur) be retained? And, how can the city be made a ‘smart city’ when basic civic amenities are lacking in terms of so many things, to say in general, and health services in particular? The NMC Health Care Centre (Rog Nidan Kendra) at Sadar, in the city, is proving to be a ‘white elephant’, for it has become difficult for NMC to maintain it on various counts, like, availability of required medicines, medical experts and maintenance of its accountable functioning.

Like all sorts of claims made in the politics by our great politicians, the NMC, an elected body of citizens, always tall claims about taking care of health of citizens, particularly in the case of the needy and poor patients, but every time it miserably fails. All tall claims made about health services often get belied. One does not understand, what exactly happens to tall claims of providing free or nominal-cost health care to the poor or the needy, and in practice the poor and the needy are deprived of health care, whatever it be.
Aayurvedic panchkarm chikitsa and anusandhan kendr   (2)
The Eco machine, ECG machine and Utra-sound equipment  are lying dead over past 7 years. All these machines were functioning when Dr Maya Ballal was working in the Centre, and after her retirement, the medical equipment are lying in dust, and no one is there to take care of them. Moreover, after her retirement, no full time specialist or responsible doctor has been appointed by NMC. Certain doctors are there on hire but they too are not paid well in the name of honorarium, and so they do not take much interest, they are not regular too; they come sometimes or do not come at all.

The patients who visit this Centre are from poor class or lower income group, belonging to Central Nagpur, North or West Nagpur. The patients still visit the hospital with the hope that every ‘tomorrow’ may bring for them the medical aid they need, but they return with heavy heart loaded by NMC apathy. Such patients cannot afford to visit private medical practitioners, and they remain suffering with their physical complications.

Aayurvedic panchkarm chikitsa and anusandhan kendr   (3)
The Centre has an X-ray machine, but no technician or no films. The Centre has its own dispensary, yet the prescribed medicines are required to be bought from outside, which are costly.

An alert citizen, Sanjay Agrawal has demanded appointment of permanent doctors or else some private body be allowed to run the Health Centre responsibly, which may cater to the needs of the poor patients and generate some revenue for NMC. The survey of the Centre reveals, the premises of the Centre has become parking space for 4-wheelers, godowns and toilet-zone. Is it not mockery of health care service by civic body?
Aayurvedic panchkarm chikitsa and anusandhan kendr   (6)
Aayurvedic panchkarm chikitsa and anusandhan kendr   (5)
Aayurvedic panchkarm chikitsa and anusandhan kendr   (4)

– Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha(rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com)