the goan I network
MARGAO
Is an urban town with a municipal self-governing body eligible for an urban health centre, more so when the town comes under a Primary Health Centre, having its jurisdiction over as many as six to seven village panchayats?
Director of Health Services Dr Jose D’Sa says a town by itself may not be entitled for an urban health centre just because it has a municipal body unless the proposal conforms to the rules in force, including population.
Dr Jose’s stand, however, has not deterred the Cuncolim Municipal Council to make a strong demand in support of an Urban Helath Centre for the thousands of population inhabiting the town.
Presently, residents of Cuncolim come under the jurisdiction of the Primary Health Centre in neighbouring Balli village.
When the PHC was set up at Balli decades ago, Cuncolim was a panchayat body, but the status of the area did not undergo change on the health front when the then panchayat was upgraded into a municipal body in the late 80s.
The local Cuncolim civic body, however, has not given up hopes of getting an urban health centre in the town to provide medical facility for the local residents on the ground that health care is lacking in the municipal area.
Take note that the Balli PHC has in its jurisdiction as many as six-seven villages, right from Barcem-Padi to Balli, Morpilla, Fatorpa, Betul, Velim, Ambelim and others and is overstretched in attending to the health needs of the people inhabiting these panchayat areas.
Take note, the Cuncolim civic body has offered ready-made premises for the health services to set up the urban health centre, with 10-bedded facility, right in the heart of the town, as the municipal commercial complex is finally getting ready for occupation.
In fact, resolution No 4 adopted at the ordinary meeting of the Cuncolim Municipal Council chaired by Chairperson Anjela Luis Paiginkar has authorized the Chairperson and the Chief Officer to file a written request to the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant to provide the health care facility at the earliest in the civic premises at the earliest.
Councillors maintained that the population of Cuncolim has crossed the 10,000-figure mark and that an urban health centre is the need of the hour in the town.
That’s not all. Citizens pointed out that the municipal area plays host to the Cuncolim industrial area, which has a large migrant population, staying within the industrial estate and outside.
“There’s no check on the migrant population hailing from the malaria-endemic states such as Jharkhand, Odisha etc. As it is, the overstretched Balli Primary Health Centre cannot make its presence felt everywhere, including the Cutbona fishing jetty, which also plays host to migrant workers employed on the fishing vessels,” remarked a citizen.
In times of emergencies, citizens pointed out that the victims from the town are first taken to the Balli PHC and then shifted to Hospicio for want of adequate health care amenities, causing delay in starting the treatment of
the victims.
