Elusive docs add to patients’ woes

KANPUR: Ramwati had to cover the distance of 2.5 km on foot to reach a primary health centre (PHC) at Chaubeypur to get examined her six-month-old baby.
Unfortunately, no doctor was available at the centre that day forcing the hapless woman to return to her village and contact a quack who could provide much needed medical help to the infant.
Though the centre is equipped with all medical facilities needed to meet any emergency, it has miserably failed in catering to the needs of villagers thanks to the careless approach of doctors.
About 36 patients, mostly villagers, were waiting for doctors when Times News Network visited the centre recently. A pharmacist was directing villagers not to make noise.
When contacted, he said that usually doctors visited the centre on time. “Yes they are late today. There must be some emergency,� he added.
The four-bedded centre has no woman doctor and the women patients are examined by male doctors. Though the medical staff claim that they have a round-the-clock emergency service, villagers complain that they are refused admission in late hours.
As the two doctors posted here reside in the city they are not available at the centre in odd hours. Three vaccine preservation boxes donated by the UNICEF have not been used since long due to long power cuts.