the goan I network
MARGAO
Days after the Balli panchayat members threatened an agitation if the functioning of the Balli Primary Health Centre is not streamlined to meet the needs of the citizens, a joint meeting with the stakeholders was held at the PHC on Monday with local MLAs Babu Kavlekar and Clafacio Dias.
Besides the two MLAs representing Quepem and Cuncolim constituencies, Balli Sarpanch Rajesh Faldesai, PHC doctors, Zilla Panchayat member Kushali Velip and citizens met at the PHC and discussed ways and means to improve the service to the common man.
The issue over the shunting of patients from the Balli PHC to Hospicio was also discussed, wherein it was decided that patients rushed to the PHC should receive all medical attention at the centre and only serious cases requiring further treatment should be referred to the Hospicio.
The two MLAs discussed at length the allegation made by the Balli sarpanch about the attitude of the doctors.
The Quepem MLA later said he would take up with the Director of Health Services the question of constituting the Hospital Visiting Committee for the Balli PHC.
On the absence of a full-time X-ray technician at the Balli PHC, Babu said he would soon call on the Health Minister with a plea to depute a full-fledged X-ray technician to meet the requirements of the patients. “We have arrived at the conclusion that an X-ray technician working on alternate days has failed to meet the requirements of the patients,” Babu said, adding he would impress upon the Health Minister to give a full-fledged X-ray technician for the Balli PHC.
On frequent outages witnessed at the PHC for want of a power generator, the Quepem MLA conceded that the PHC has an inverter only for the casualty and the hospital has no facility of a generator. He, however, hastened to add that the health services has floated a tender to procure a power generator for the PHC as a backup facility in times of emergencies.
