Also lacks provision for drinking water and toilets Satinder Pal Singh Dera Bassi, June 11 Rural Medical Officer and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) deputed at the subsidiary health centre at Mubarikpur village have to knock the gates of houses near the dispensary for drinking water and using washrooms. Reason: The dispensary, which is situated in a remote area of Mubarikpur village, has been operating without toilets and drinking water facilities since its inception. The staff have to fetch water from the neighbourhood because the dispensary has no water supply of its own. Apart from this, a large number of patients visiting the dispensary, which falls under the Zila Parishad, for treatment on a daily basis are a harried lot as they have to return without getting medicines. Sources said the dispensary, which lacks basic amenities, has also been facing a shortage of medicines for the past 10 months. Most of the frequently prescribed medicines by Rural Medical Officer have not been supplied for several months. The dispensary primarily caters to the residents hailing from the economically weaker section. One of the staff members said they last received the supply of medicines in July, 2017. Since then, there had been no supply of medicines. “What is more appalling is the fact that the dispensary does not even have basic medicines for hypertension, sugar, analgesics and even cough syrups,” said the staff member. Poor patients in the area are being deprived of their fundamental right to healthcare as they cannot afford treatments in private hospitals. A visit by The Tribune to the dispensary found that more than 70 per cent patients on an average who visit the OPD daily are asked to manage medicines on their own. Apart from bearing the maintenance expenses of the building, the staff at the dispensary purchase some medicines themselves to make sure that patient do not return empty-handed. With lack of funds or supply of medicines in time, the staff deputed at the dispensary try to manage affairs on their own. The Medical Officer said she had time and again written to the higher authorities and even apprised the sarpanch of the village about lack of basic amenities at dispensary, but to no avail. After failing to get any financial help from the village panchayat as the dispensary runs from the panchayat building, the RMO had to spend money from her own pocket to run affairs of the dispensary. Another staff member said: “In such a situation, the working of the rural dispensary is bound to suffer and in due course, people might lose faith in these institutions.” “In remote and backward areas, the dispensary is the only available medical facility for local residents. Hence, a decently equipped centre with an adequate stock of medicines is a must,” said Vanita, a patient. Meanwhile, Ravinder Singh, Secretary, Zila Parishad, said, “The medicines are supplied by state headquarters. I would bring the issue to the knowledge of the Director, Rural Development.” Regarding the infrastructure, he said he would get the things sorted out soon.

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