CHC Rajpur: Crumbling Infrastructure, Lack Of Staff, Sole Hosp For Over 30 Villages

Crumbling walls, broken windows, doors and a lack of proper staff  — these were the scenes at the Community Healthcare Centre (CHC) in Rajpur, a rural area in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. 

The hospital which is on the verge of collapse is the only medical centre for more than 30 villages which have a population of about 40,000.

The health centre is about nine to ten hours away from the state capital Shimla and has been in a dilapidated condition for more than two decades now, but still neglected by the medical and government authorities.

CHC Rajpur: small plants are growing out of the cracks at several parts of the building. Photo: Abhishek Sharma/BW Businessworld

Small plants are growing out of the cracks at several parts of the building including the entrance. Nearby, the toilets are in bad shape making it difficult for patients and the staff. 

"We are very afraid for our life as this building can collapse at any time. We are all managing everything on our own. The toilets are in very bad shape and it creates issues for females. The situation is so bad that the patients and staff are using the same washrooms," a staff member told BW Businessworld. 

CHC Rajpur: Outside female washrooms. Photo: Abhishek Sharma/BW Businessworld

According to the staff member, higher authorities are ignoring the situation for a long time which can lead to grave consequences for both patients and staff. The local political leader —  State Power Minister Sukhram Chaudhary has visited this area several times but has yet to take any action. 

Notably, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, India is still far behind in providing basic medical facilities to its citizens, as per the findings of Rural Health Statistics. 

There is a major shortage of specialists in rural CHCs, according to the Rural Health Statistics (2020-2021) report released by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) in early May. 

In 2021, CHCs in rural areas registered a shortage of 79.9 per cent in the number of specialists as compared to 76.2 per cent in 2020.  In 2021, there was a shortage of 24.9 per cent of laboratory technicians and 8.3 per cent of nursing staff in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and CHCs.

CHC Rajpur: Inside dressing room. Photo: Abhishek Sharma/BW Businessworld

"Although we have all basic medicines and facilities that we can give to patients, we do not have nursing staff and ward boys. We have time and again sent the reports to higher authorities and are now waiting for the funds to come so we can fix the major issues," said a doctor. 

Around 2.00 PM, two patients were waiting for the time to see the doctor. Adesh, a 27 years old man said, "It is visible that the hospital is in bad shape. However, the doctor is very nice and manages everything very aptly."

In September, Home Minister Amit Shah in  Ahmedabad said that the central government is focusing on strengthening health and medical infrastructure in the country. However, CHCs like Rajpur and many others in rural areas contradict this claim. 

In CHC Rajpur, the X-ray and dental department due to a lack of staff and the dressing room is in such a terrible condition that patients are scared to enter. Interestingly, the female ward has been turned into an observation room. 

This hospital witnesses around 60-70 patients on an average on daily basis amid the poor infrastructure. The doctor said that we have vaccinated more than 90 per cent of the local population. We are on a mission to eradicate Tuberculosis for which we will also have a dedicated staff. 

Talking about the emergency in this hilly region, there is one ambulance available for 24 hours. However, locals alleged that in case of emergency they have to take patients to Dehradun or Chandigarh as CHC Rajpur and Civil Hospital Paonta Sahib (a nearby city) do not have enough equipment to treat serious cases.

CHC Rajpur: Inside male ward. Photo: Abhishek Sharma/BW Businessworld

"A few days ago, a female in her 30s died after she was bitten by honey bees in her village. We may have saved her if the Rajpur hospital had a proper infrastructure to treat such patients. These difficulties force rural people to travel long distances for emergency care which many times lead to dangerous consequences," said Neelam Sharma, a local resident. 

The deceased was shifted to Chandigarh but later succumbed to injuries. She left behind her two children, Neelam added. 

"About 10-15 KM away from CHC, there is a huge mining area where large numbers of people work on a daily basis. As it is situated in a hilly region, the area is very accident-prone. Hence, we need a well-equipped hospital, especially during emergency times," said a local.

Meanwhile, when BW Businessworld tried to reach Dr KL Bhagat, Block Medical Officer (BMO) to enquire about this ill-equipped hospital, he refused to comment on the matter.