Hyderabad: Twenty urban public health centres in the city have been hamstrung by a blackout for the past 20 days, thanks to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s failure in clearing the bill. These health centres are in Bandlaguda, Barkas, Uppaguda, Bolakpur, Tukaram Gate, Gangampet, Panjesha, Chintala Basti, Bhoiguda, Afzal Sagar, DBR Mills and a few other places. Vaccination and immunisation shots given every Wednesday and Saturday, have been particularly affected, as cold storages, where they are required to be stored, have stopped functioning. About 75 to 100 children come for immunisation on both these days. But with no power, the vaccines have been shifted to PHCs or hospitals nearby.
Dr G. Shoba Rani of PHC at Charminar said, “We are keeping all the stock in those PHCs where there is power. Charminar is bearing the load of most of the PHCs in old city areas. On every Wednesday and Saturday, the in-charge PHC doctor has to come to the unit, collect the vaccines in a kit, administer and bring the unused ones back. It is becoming quite a troublesome task.” The out-patients are treated during the day when sunlight streams in from the windows. At least 20 out-patients visit the outlets everyday, mostly for issues like pain, fever, cold, cough and sore throat. Cases related to pregnancy are not addressed at all, as it requires scrutiny and are transferred to the 24X7 centres.
Hyderabad district has 85 PHCs, of which 20 are taken care of by GHMC. According to an MoU between GHMC and director of health, water and electricity bills for these 20 PHCs are to be paid by GHMC. Dr Narendraudu, district medical and health officer, Hyderabad, said, “These were under the control of GHMC due to the India Population Project 2002. From 2002 till 2013, all the bills have been paid by it. The files are showing all these details. But now the health department of GHMC is not ready to listen. The director of health also has not been able to put across our case to the GHMC. At our own level, we have approached the municipal commissioner, but they want to see the copy of the MoU.”
The pending electricity bill is for the March 2013 to March 2014 period. Municipal commissioner Somesh Kumar explained, “Since last four months, there has not been any representation of the PHCs from the health department. I have not seen any papers pertaining to this matter. It has not been brought to my notice.”
