Rs 48-lakh Ouguri sub-health centre in Doomdooma without doctor for two years

Doomdooma, Jan 16: A sub-health centre built at a cost of nearly Rs 48.38 lakh, and inaugurated with much fanfare by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has remained without a doctor for the last two years, laying bare serious gaps in the State’s healthcare delivery system, and triggering widespread resentment among the local population.

The Ouguri Sub-Health Centre, located at Rupai Ouguri Asomiya Balijan village near the tea town of Doomdooma in Tinsukia district, was formally inaugurated on February 23, 2024, under the PM-ABHIM scheme with funding from the National Health Mission (Assam).

Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 48.38 lakh, the centre was projected as a key healthcare facility for the area.

The foundation stone of the centre was laid on May 13, 2023, and the construction was completed within seven months by a Makum-based contractor.

Despite the timely completion and inauguration, government has failed to appoint a regular doctor or a Community Health Officer (CHO), forcing the centre to function largely through the services of a lone Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM).

The issue has assumed greater significance as the facility is well-equipped in terms of infrastructure. The ground floor houses a wellness room, pre and post-delivery wards, laboratory, immunisation room, labour room, doctor’s chamber, and separate toilets for doctors, nurses, and patients.

The upper floor has full residential arrangements for a doctor. Furniture, medical equipment, and machinery have also been supplied, though shortages of several essential items, and the absence of a boundary wall persist.

Locals point out that the failure lies not in infrastructure creation but in manpower deployment. “A fully functional building without a doctor is meaningless for patients,” said a resident, echoing the sentiment of many.

Earlier, following media reports highlighting the centre’s plight, the office of the Joint Director of Health Services, Tinsukia, issued a directive on January 27, 2025, assigning Dr Mrinmoy Sahu, community health officer of Maijan Ayushman Arogya Mandir, to provide services at the centre three days a week.

While this temporary arrangement offered some relief, it came to an end last month after Dr Sahu was transferred to his home district, Charaideo. With the transfer of the Multipurpose Health Worker, Jayaprakash Barman to Nalbari earlier, the centre is once again left to be managed solely by the ANM.

Local residents and various organizations have now stepped up their demand, urging the State government and the district health authorities to immediately appoint a full-time community health officer or doctor at the Ouguri Sub-Health Centre.

They stated that continued neglect would not only defeat the purpose of public spending but also erode public faith in the government’s healthcare commitments.