E-Paper
All is not well at Sector-45 wellness centre in Chandigarh
Poor infrastructure with lack of space for the elderly to sit, shortage of doctors, their alleged rude behaviour and no system to ensure that all registered patients are examined and given medicines the same day are some of the issues ailing the wellness centre, which has over 33,000 beneficiaries.
A short-statured man in his mid-sixties was frowning while waiting for his turn at the wellness centre running under the Central Government Health Scheme in Sector 45.
He is a heart patient, who has been coming to the centre for the past two days but has not been able to see a doctor yet.
Poor infrastructure with lack of space for the elderly to sit, shortage of doctors, their alleged rude behaviour and no system to ensure that all registered patients are examined and given medicines the same day are some of the issues ailing the wellness centre, which has over 33,000 beneficiaries. Its out-patient department (OPD) has a daily footfall of 550.
SK Sharma, the elderly heart patient who had come from Himachal Pradesh, said: “I had gone to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, where doctors advised me bed rest and prescribed some medications and tests. At 12:30pm, I reached this centre to get a reference letter for tests and medications, but my turn did not come. I came here at 8:30am again, but it’s 1pm and I am still waiting. The experience is horrific.”
Showing three slips,Gurbachan Singh, who retired as a commandant from the Border Security Force (BSF), said: “I have been coming here for the last three days for examination but my turn has not come.”
Singh said while registration timings are till 1:30pm, doctors do not see any patient after 2pm. “Many elderly people come in the morning, wait till 2pm and return without getting examined by doctors,” he said.
Gowhar Shafi of Jammu and Kashmir said his father, who retired from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), needs to undergo kidney transplant and is admitted to a private hospital empanelled with the CGHS.
“The hospital has written a few tests and for every test I have to come here, stand in a queue and request doctors for referral letter. Here the doctors have approved only a few tests. The treatment will not start until all tests are done. I don’t know whom to approach,” he said.
BS Gill, who retired as a deputy commissioner from the customs and central excise department, said: “I come to this centre from Patiala. I have to make two to three rounds to collect medicines. Also, there is not adequate space to wait.”
Need our own space: Official
Dr Ashwani Kumar, additional director, CGHS, Chandigarh, said: “This lone centre was established in 2002 for 8,000 beneficiaries. In the past year, the number of beneficiaries has risen to 33,000. The daily OPD has seen an increase in footfall from around 200 to 550 daily.”
Dr Kumar said as there aren’t enough wellness centres for central employees in adjoining states, pensioners from there too have become beneficiaries with the Chandigarh centre.
On poor infrastructure, he said: “As the space has been taken on rent from the UT health department, we cannot make any modifications. The department has already issued us around five eviction notices.”
Dr Kumar said the CGHS needs its own spacious building besides another wellness centre in the tricity.
“In 2009, we applied for land for a new building but the matter is still pending with the Union ministry of home affairs. We have proposed one more wellness centre and have written several letters to the CGHS director, the last sent on October 10,” he said.
The additional director further clarified that doctors cannot examine patients after 2pm as the entire system is online and servers shut at 2pm.
