Sambalpur, June 24: The residents of Kuchinda, a sub-divisional headquarter of Sambalpur district, staged a dharna in front of the office of chief district medical officer of Sambalpur today demanding better health facilities in the area.

“Kuchinda is a tribal-dominated region and the sub-divisional headquarter hospital is the only place where the people of this region depend on for health problems. But there is no virtually health service in Kuchinda. We had written to the authorities several times about the problems. No action has been taken so far. The apathetic attitude of the government has forced us to resort to this dharna,” said Rabi Naik, former legislator of Kuchinda constituency and a member of the group staging the protest.

“The people from Jamankira block and Bamra block of Sambalpur district depend on this hospital. But there is an acute shortage of doctors there and health service has become paralysed. Despite the situation being so bad, one doctor of the hospital has been deputed to another area,” said Md Mrutyuja, president of the Bhojpur Anchalika Nagarika Parishad.

“There should be a medicine specialist, a child specialist, a surgery specialist, an orthopaedic specialist, an anaesthesia specialist and a gynaecologist in this hospital but the hospital has none,” said Sandeep Mohanty, a resident of Kuchinda.

He added that the government’s indifference had forced them to come here and stage the demonstration.

“We have placed nine demands before the authorities. They should immediately fill up the vacant posts and install a digital X-Ray machine. We also need a morgue van,” said an agitator.

However, chief district medical officer Bhakta Prashad Guru said: “The appointment of doctors is a subject of the state government. Nevertheless, we have sent the vacancy statement to the government.”

“The doctor who has been deputed to the other station will be called back to Kuchinda hospital,” Guru further added.

“We will write to the government for a digital X-Ray machine in Kuchinda hospital. We will also appoint more technicians in the blood bank of the hospital so the facility can run round the clock. I will visit to Kuchinda hospital next month and discuss the matter with the representatives of the United Action Committee, which is spearheading the agitation. That way, the problems of the hospital could be solved,” said Guru.