Keonjhar, June 23: Angry villagers of Salinia, the headquarters town in Hatadihi block, today locked up a community health centre protesting against long absence of doctors posted at the hospital.

For five hours, they had also locked up four employees of the 16-bed centre.

“As many as five doctors have been posted at Salinia centre. However, no one is attending this hospital. Though one of them is supposed to stay at the hospital, he hardly attends patients. Rest of the staff stay at Bhadrak and they hardly visit the centre. Though a doctor is supposed to be on duty round-the-clock, there is no one at night,” said Salinia sarpanch Anatha Nayak.

The residents of Bhagamunda and its nearby villages have been on dharna after locking up the government hospital for the past three days demanding better health infrastructure.

“There is absolutely no health service in the area as no doctor, posted at the Bhagamunda centre, has joined duty. People have never seen the doctor since his posting six months ago. To compound our woes, the pharmacist, who had been treating patients, was transferred two months ago. Since then, the pharmacist’s post has been lying vacant. This six-bed government hospital is paralysed throwing the rural patients in utter helplessness,” said Bhagamunda sarpanch Dulari Majhi.

Majhi has been leading the mass dharna in front of the hospital for the past three days accompanied by many villagers. Moreover, people said they had been left with no option but to go to Anandapur sub-divisional hospital, 40km away. In case of minor illnesses and injuries they have to travel 40 kilometres.

“As there is absence of proper infrastructure at the Bhagamunda centre, doctors are reluctant to go there. But in case of the Salinia centre, we will look into the complaint relating to absence of the doctors and ensure proper health services at the Salinia centre,” said Kishore Chandra Behera, chief district medical officer, Keonjhar.

He, however, admitted to shortage of doctors in many Keonjhar hospitals.

Anandapur MLA Bagirathi Sethy, Hatadihi block development officer Parikhita Jena and local police reached the Salinia centre in the afternoon and persuaded the villagers to withdraw agitation.

However, the protest at the Bhagamunda centre continues.