Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 01 July 2022
The residents of Katchal are undergoing a lot of problems for more than five years due to the non-availability of X-Ray Technician and Lab Technician at the local Primary Health Centre.
Even for the basic lab tests required for diagnosis, the residents of Katchal have to travel to Kamorta.
Residents informed that the Directorate of Health Services has transferred Lab Technician and X-Ray Technician multiple times to Katchal during the last five years, but none of the transferred employees have ever physically joined duty at PHC Katchal.Â
In 2017 a new X-Ray Machine was installed at PHC Katchal and all required infrastructure like the dark room etc. was created. The X-Ray Machine is lying unused for want of an X-Ray Technician.
Residents also informed that the TB Patients at Katchal are admitted to the General Ward with other patients, which increases the chance of the infection spreading from the infected to non-infected patients.
The in-patients at the PHC also have to face a lot of problems during a power cut as the generator installed at the PHC is faulty for a long time and has not been repaired.
The residents have expressed gratitude to the Directorate of Health Services and to the officers of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration for ensuring the availability of doctors at the PHC.
While speaking to Nicobar Times one resident of Katchal said ‘The Directorate of Health Services should ensure that the employees they transfer to Katchal should also join their duty at the local PHC’.Â
Another resident informed Nicobar Times that he strongly suspects that the Directorate of Health Services is allowing the employees transferred to Katchal, to work in other health establishments at Port Blair without any adverse action against them.Â
The Directorate of Health Services should take a strict stance and ensure that the transferred employees join their duty in remote Islands for the convenience of the general public.