Poor suffer as GHMC PHCs turn sick

​Hyderabad: Most of the Urban Primary Health Centres in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits are either dysfunctional or facing severe staff crunch despite spending a whopping Rs 11.70 crore as salary and maintenance.

There as many as 85 Urban Health Care centres that provide preventive healthcare, antenatal care, post-natal care, immunisation, family planning, treating minor ailments and implement disease control programmes.

Out of the 85 UPHCs, about 45 UPHCs are being maintained by GHMC. Adding to the woes of the urban poor (daily-wage workers and slum dwellers), several PHCs in the corporation have become non-functional for nearly six weeks due to renovation works, as claimed by GHMC officials.

A pregnant housewife, I Sharada, who has been receiving treatment at the UPHC at Gaganmahal, was shocked to learn that the hospital was under renovation. She said that the hospital staff had informed her that all works would be over before June.

The woman who was in to the seventh month of pregnancy said, "I cannot afford to travel for my treatment. The hospital staff has been coming up with lame excuses. I am really worried.”

A similar situation was witnessed at Musheerabad UPHC, which has been shut for about a month for renovation works.

K Jaya Prakash, a slum dweller from Musheerabad said, “During rainy season, my children are often victims of viral fever. The PHC was very convenient for people like us. Now the wait has become very agonising. Earlier, at least they (doctors) used to dispense medicines despite certain constraints.

Now, I am being forced to go to a private practitioner, as the large crowds outside the OP ward in Gandhi Hospital is making me jittery. Last week, the wait at Gandhi hospital was agonising as my son was suffering from fever. My son’s condition made me very nervous. I request the administration to kindly reopen the PHC as early as possible.”

As per norms, there should be one UPHC for 10,000 population with one medical officer, one public health care nurse, three to eight auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), one Class-IV employee to maintain records and five to 20 Asha workers for each PHC.

On the contrary, the city has one UPHC for about 40,000 to 60,000 population and there are only five doctors available out of the required strength of 25. And there are about 350 hospital staff currently working against a required strength of 2,700.

The civic body has been spending Rs 86 lakh for salaries and Rs 29 lakh every month towards maintenance charges like electricity, water and others. When the issue was brought to the notice of Additional Commissioner (Health) Gaurav Uppal, he said that the issue would be examined on a priority.

Reacting on the subject, Mayor Bonthu Rammohan assured that the corporation would bring all urban PHCs under GHMC jurisdiction in three months and equip them with the required equipment and staff. He said that they would seek funds from the Centre under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and added that the corporation had plans to set up 33 additional UPHCs in GHMC limits.

By: Maddy Deekshith