TAXILA: Mother and child healthcare centre (MCH), located in Kahil in Jand tehsil, has been lying dysfunctional for the last 10 years.

The indifferent attitude of the district administration and relevant health authorities could be gauged from the fact that staff of the MCH has not turned up on duty for the last 10 years and drawing salaries while sitting at home.

The sorry state of affairs has made achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the health sector almost impossible. The MDGs will ensure high quality services including family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, skilled delivery and emergency obstetric care.

The MCH was established in 1995 and inaugurated by the then district council chairman, Malik Atta Mohammad Khan.

The centre was established here to cater to 10 adjacent villages of the Bassal Union Council, having 30,000 populations.

He said several letters had been written to the Punjab chief minister, health minister and deputy commissioner but to no avail.

Mohammad Tabassum, a resident of the area, said 99pc labour cases were performed by midwives at homes.

The Attock district health authority chief executive officer told a delegation that the centre had literally been lying dysfunctional for the last 10 years after a dispenser there retired and nobody replaced him.

He said the centre was now under the administrative control of the district health authorities following the promulgation of the Punjab Local Government Act 2019 but it remained neglected as it was located in a remote area.

When contacted, Jand Assistant Commissioner Hassan Nazir confirmed that the centre had not been functioning since long.

Replying to a question, he said the building maintenance had not been carried out due to paucity of funds and as the centre was established in a far-flung and remote area, no health official was willing to work there.

When contacted Deputy District Officer Health Dr Shahida Khattak also admitted that the centre was lying dysfunctional since 2005 and so far the health department has not taken administrative control of the centre due to various reasons.

She said the centre was previously working under the district council and later handed over to the health department which did not have adequate funds and staff to run it.

She said after the issue was brought to the notice of the administration and health authorities by the notables of the area, the health department would move an application to the provincial health department for the appointment of medical and paramedical staff.

On the other hand, District Health Department Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Sohail Ejaz claimed that the centre was functional. When asked how the centre was functional when there was no infrastructure and staff at the centre, he failed to answer.

Meanwhile, Attock Deputy Commissioner Ali Anan Qammar said an investigation into the affairs of the centre had been initiated to examine the reasons behind it being dysfunctional.

He said efforts would be made to appoint medical staff and provide infrastructure and medicinesto the centre after necessary approval from the provincial health authorities.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2020