President's hometown cries out for health care

President's hometown cries out for health care
Express News Service

UZHAVOOR, AUG 26: The village from which the first citizen of the country hails lacks basic health facilities. The primary health centre at the Kurisupalli junction, the lone Government medical assistance point in the whole of Uzhavoor grama panchayat, tells the tale of official neglect and internecine quarrel between the block and grama panchayats ruled by councils of opposite political fronts.

The Fr.Philip Cherukara memorial payward, inaugurated by President K R Narayanan himself in 1997, is yet to function.Though well-equipped with six beds, it has not been put to use because the PWD has not fixed the rent to be charged from occupants.

The functioning of the PHC otherwise is also in a shambles. Established in 1946, it became full-fledged when a new block was added in 1987. The block had facilities for 40 in-patients. But for two years, the first floor of the block has been lying idle thanks to seepage in the roof and absence of electrical and equipment maintenance. Though the Uzhavoor block panchayat, the custodian of the centre, saw to it that an aluminium sheet roofing was given, it doesn't help much.

With facilities limited to just 20 in-patients now, the centre has to cope with the medical needs at an average of 200 people each day. There are only two duty doctors. One has gone for PG studies.

Though the centre provides for a laboratory and a technician, the centre only carries out tests for malaria. Similarly the pharmacy at the centre is virtually of no use for the people.

The tug of war between the UDF- ruled grama panchayat and LDF- controlled block panchayat has been cited as the reason for developmental work at the centre not taking off.