PORVORIM
Despite having detected among the highest number of cases with health centres in the State, the Porvorim Primary Health Centre (PHC) is yet to get a full-fledged health officer.
There are allegations now that politics, and not medicine, seems to be dominating the health centre.
Sources said it is nearly a month since that Porvorim PHC’s previous full-time health officer Dr Sikandar Talwar has been transferred to the Sanguem PHC.
“However, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) does not appear to have taken any steps to appoint a new full-time health officer at Porvorim PHC.”
“Dr Talwar had been strict and would not issue no-objection certificates for water and electrical connections to illegal constructions. In Socorro, there are a lot of illegally constructed houses and house owners had applied for NOCs for water and electrical connections.”
“Since Dr Talwar refused to give connections, some workers of a party took up the matter with their higher-ups and got him transferred,” said the source.
Incidentally, there had been constant pressure on Dr Talwar to issue no-objection certificates and he was even threatened by some persons with dire consequences over the phone if the NOC was not issued.
“He had filed a complaint in this regard with Porvorim police station on June 14, 2019,” said the reliable sources.
Set up in April 2017, the non-bedded Porvorim PHC caters to around 44,000 people residing in the villages of Penha de Franca, Salvador do Mundo, Socorro and Guirim, through its seven sub-health centres.
Initially, the PHC would get about 3-4 patients per day at OPD, but that number soon went up and now, an average 150-200 patients seek OPD services every day.
The Porvorim PHC provides various services, including testing of blood samples for detection of malaria and diabetes, no-objection certificates to restaurants, builders.
As part of the immunisation programmes, various vaccines such as OPV, Hep-B, BCG, Measles, MMR, Booster DPT, TT, Rubella and anti-rabies vaccines are administered to children and patients.
The pandemic has increased the workload at the Porvorim PHC and the latest bulleting released by Health department on Wednesday indicated that the Porvorim had 242 active cases, which is the second-highest after Margao UHC in the State.
According to sources, the Porvorim PHC detects about 20-30 Covid cases daily.
“These days, a growing number of Covid patients have begun opting for home quarantine facilities. The distribution of home quarantine kits to patients and providing them guidance has become the additional responsibility for medical staff at the PHC,” said the source.
“The efficient management of the Porvorim PHC and tackling the spread of Covid cases would surely be better if the PHC had the services of a full-time health officer, as one with additional duties of the Porvorim PHC can never do full justice to the task at hand,” the source added.
Porvorim PHC in mess, needs
immediate attention: MLA
Claiming that the Porvorim Primary Health Centre (PHC) is in a mess and needs immediate attention, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said he had spoken to the Health Minister and hoped better sense prevailed in the State government to take urgent corrective action.
“Covid cases are on the rise in Porvorim and instead of supporting efforts to tackle this situation, the government transferred a dedicated full-time health officer of Porvorim PHC to Sanguem and handed over the additional charge of the PHC to the health officer of Candolim PHC,” said Khaunte.
“Presently, Porvorim PHC is in a mess and needs immediate attention. The health officer, who has been entrusted additional charge, is hardly available at the Porvorim PHC.”
“I have spoken to the Health Minister and I hope better sense prevails on the State government to take immediate corrective actions,” Khaunte added.
