Health dept terminates contract with Sheel Clinic due to dearth of doctors

DEHRADUN

: Cracking the whip on private companies for failing to maintain medical facilities in community health centres, the health department has terminated the services of Sheel Nursing Home in three CHCs. A memorandum of understanding between the company and the department was signed in August 2013 for a period of five years under the PPP mode in the state. However, the company was unable to deploy regular qualified specialists in Chokhutiya, Lohaghat and Bajpur health centres, following which local residents complained to the department regarding dearth of staff and the action was taken.

The contract to run 12 community health centres (CHCs) were given to two companies. Sheel clinic was given responsibility to run CHCs in Gairsain, Munsyari, Chokhutiya, Bajpur, Lohaghat, Jakholi, Kapcot and Garampani. The company’s services have been curtailed from eight to just five now due to lack of doctors and other staff. The services of Rajbhra Medicare, which was looking after four CHCs in Sahiya, Tathyud, Naugaon and Raipur, was terminated over a month ago for allegedly indulging in inflating bills and manoeuvring the pathology test reports of patients to earn more profits.

The decision has been taken after repeated complaints from local residents regarding unavailability of doctors and staff at CHC Chokhutiya, CHC Lohaghat and CHC Bajpur. According to TOI sources, the services of Bajpur CHC was comparatively better than the other two CHCs where their services were terminated. But some residents were also unhappy by the functioning of Sheel in Bajpur, following which the department ended the contract with them.

Residents say that these three CHCs are considered to be key centres in Almora, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar but ever since the private firms have taken charge of them, people are forced to go to plains for treatment.

The health department had been paying nearly Rs 20 lakh per month to the firm for maintaining its services in the CHCs, depending on the staff strength and overall facilities, a senior doctor of the centre said.

“We thought the services would improve with private companies taking charge of the centres and the government looking over it. But due to lackadaisical behaviour of both health department and state government, these companies kept ignoring the basic requirement,” said Satendera Rawat, a resident from Chaukhutiya in Almora.

Speaking with TOI, director general of health department, Dr. Kusum Nariyal, said, “The company was given notice two months ago as per the guidelines of MoU, thereafter, we gave a final date to handover the infrastructure and equipment.”

Earlier, chief minister Harish Rawat and health minister Surinder

Singh Negi

had confessed that they should not have relied on PPP mode for health services as it failed to provide relief to patients in rural belts.

Reluctant to speak on the issue, Bharat Singh Bisht, manager of Chaukhutiya CHC, said, “We have received the information regarding termination of these three CHCs through an e-mail but we haven’t received any information regarding ceasing of services by post.”