TAXILA: The residents of more than nine villages in the Bhallar Joggi union council in Hassanabdal tehsil have not had access to a basic healthcare facility for the last two years.
The pre-partition Rural Health Centre (RHC) in Bhallar Joggi caters to the rural area from Hassanabdal to Haripur. Its building is on a compound spread over 4.5 kanals of land, with three rooms for medical facilities and two residential quarters for staff.
With one medical officer, one dispenser, one lady health worker and two other staffers, the RHC is supposed to see to the basic healthcare requirements of the general population, which consists mostly of agricultural labourers, and provide a safe delivery centre for pregnant women.
But despite the health reforms publicised by successive governments, access to basic health facilities has been falling. Today, the Bhallar Joggi RHC appears dilapidated. No lady health workers have been appointed here since the last one was transferred in 2006, and the dispenser who retired in 2015 has not been replaced either. The centre’s affairs are being run by a medical officer who retired in October 2016, and the other two staffers are working as guards.
Due to the absence of staff, medicines have expired and the roof of the adjacent staff quarters has caved in due to the lack of maintenance.
Mohammad Javaid, a Class IV employee of the centre, said it is a lifeline for thousands of nearby residents, many of whom cannot afford expensive treatment. Since the centre began deteriorating, people have had to visit the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital 20 kilometres away, he said. With the provision of medicines, staff and ambulances, the centre could address the needs of a population of more than 25,000.
“We have a building and facilities in the heart of the union council, which is [accessible to] almost six different villages, but we don’t have the required doctors and paramedical staff. Residents have taken up this issue at every available forum, but no one is paying any heed towards this issue that is connected with over 25,000 residents of the area,” local social worker Rashid Khan said.
When contacted, Bhallar Joggi union council nazim Habibur Rehman attributed the condition of the centre to administrative control between the district council and district health authorities. He said the centre used to be under the control of the district council, but after the local government system was revamped the health centres had become a subject of district health authorities.
He added that he had brought the issue forward in the district council many times, but it was not taken up to the authorities concerned.
Health Chief Executive Officer Dr Mohsin confirmed the dilapidated condition of the centre and the lack of staff, but said this was due to the ban on jobs for the last many years that had led to necessary staff not being appointed.
He added that a proposal to rehabilitate the centre has been forwarded to the provincial authorities, and it will be made operative for round-the-clock healthcare services after approval for the sanction of staff and funding.
Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2019