Health centres in Dumka lack facilities

DUMKA: Maoists are planning disruptions in the three Santhal Pargana seats to stop people from voting this Lok Sabha election on April 24. But the government healthcare centres in the region are not equipped to handle emergency cases in the event of violence like in previous years.
The lack of proper facilities for treatment at sadar hospitals in vulnerable pockets might prove costly for the district officials.The two-bed Dumka sadar hospital ICU, which is a premier centre for health services in the district, has not been functional ever since it was established in 2012 and inaugurated by the then deputy chief minister Hemant Soren. The hospital lacks basic infrastructural facilities, including human resource.
Though Hemant, who represents Dumka assembly seat, became the chief minister no step was taken to make the ICU functional. Suresh Prasad, civil surgeon, said despite sending requisition to the state headquarters, the ICU still has vacancy for three specialist doctors, an anaesthesia specialist and six nurses. Life saving drugs are also not available at the ICU.
"Under such circumstances, we are forced to refer emergency patients to other hospitals for treatment. We can only provide first aid," Prasad said, adding that there was no specific instruction on the possibility of violence during election.
One of the injured constables Santosh Kumar Mandal, who was referred to Dhanbad from the sadar hospital along with four other injured constables, succumbed to his injuries on the way. "Had the ICU been functional Mandal's life could have been saved. But we did not have an option apart from referring him to another hospital," said one of the doctors posted here.
To cause more worry the condition of the primary health centres situated in remote pockets are even worse off which face acute crisis of medical facilities particularly in dealing with the emergency situations.
"Our health centres in village areas do not have facility to admit patients of gunshot injuries or any other serious ailment except to provide medication for common diseases" CS stated. Dumka DIG Priya Dubey meanwhile was least bothered about the availability of medical facilities for the security forces or poll workers in local hospitals and said it was the concern of other departments.
"We have been assured about airlifting of forces in case of any emergency situation so as to rush them to Ranchi at the earliest," Dubey asserted.