Nine months on, Darrang’s key health office struggling for existence

Mangaldai, Dec 25: The office of the Joint Director of Health Services, Darrang, considered to be the heart of the public sector health services of the district, has been struggling for its existence for the last nine months or so. It is hard to believe that one can’t find the signboard identifying this important government office here in the district headquarters town.

The office was set up in 1983 when the new Darrang district came into existence with Mangaldai as its headquarters after the Sonitpur district was bifurcated. Since then, the establishment was functioning in the Assam-type building of the former Mangaldai Civil Hospital here at Ward No. 1 till the structure was demolished for a new health project.

It was expected that the government would replace the old office building with a new, modern structure. However, it didn’t materialise and a few months ago, it took an unexpected turn when the office was vacated from the building, and the building was demolished.

Presently, the construction work of the new health project, namely, ‘Critical care block’ of Mangaldai Civil Hospital at a cost of Rs 23.75 crore under the Prime Minister’s Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, is underway. As a result, the existence of the district health department office came under threat.

More than 60 officials and staff connected to the office at the time of vacating the earlier address hoped that a suitable alternative location would be found, at least temporarily, for its smooth running but it didn’t work. In the absence of a suitable alternative building, the work of the office has now been divided into two parts. One part of it was shifted to the 10-bed hospital of the Ayush department adjacent to the former office premises, and the other part to the data collection centre of the Mangaldai Water Resources Department at Santipur, ward No. 3 of Mangaldai.

Since April this year, the first location has been used for accounts, bills, school health, birth and death registration, while the second location, at a distance of nearly one kilometre, has been used for public health, vector disease control and infectious disease prevention branches.

Thus, the officers and employees are reportedly facing difficulties in providing essential services to the people. There are also allegations that about 500 health workers who used to draw monthly salaries through the office or the common people in need to avail the services of the department often have to travel to both the establishments.

Concerned citizens of the district have been demanding that the functioning of the two bifurcated sections of the district health office be ensured from one campus, and the construction of a new office building without delay should be taken up.

By

Correspondent