The block hospital at Kharipukuria. (Jahangir Badsa)

Tamluk, Feb. 23: A block hospital in East Midnapore has been functioning without a doctor for over a month and the pharmacist, who had been “treating” patients, too, has been staying away following protests by villagers.

The residents of Contai’s Kharipukuria village have been organising demonstrations in front of the block hospital for the past week but no doctor has arrived yet. On February 10, angry villagers had locked up the hospital staff — pharmacist Debdulal Jana, four nurses and an attendant — for four hours.

Villagers complained they had been left with no option but to go to Contai subdivisional hospital, 20km away. In case of minor illnesses and injuries, Jana had been “treating” patients and prescribing medicines.

District health officials said the 10-bed block hospital used to have two doctors. Block medical officer Arpan Barman, who was in charge of the Kharipukuria hospital and a health centre 10km away, used to remain absent regularly. “Barman used to devote all his time to the health centre. He hardly came to the hospital,” an official said.

Barman was transferred last week for “regularly remaining absent from duty”.

S.S. Midya, the other doctor, had been transferred a month ago. A health official said that after Midya left, another doctor had been appointed on a contractual basis on January 19. “But he, too, did not come regularly and resigned a few days ago,” the official said.

On February 12, when Sisir Adhikari, the Union minister of state for rural development, laid the foundation of a project to upgrade the hospital, the local people complained to him about the lack of doctors. Health officials attending the event had then promised the villagers that two doctors would be appointed within two days.

However, the doctors are yet to arrive. The staff members, including the pharmacist, have not been attending duty since February 14 fearing mob fury.

“I had written to the district health authorities telling them that we could be beaten up by villagers any day if doctors were not appointed soon,” said pharmacist Jana. “On Friday, we requested the villagers to let us sign the attendance register so that we did not face departmental action. The villagers agreed. Since then, we have been signing the register and going home,” Jana added.

Gyanada Laya, a housewife, said her 70-year-old husband falls ill regularly. “But because of the lack of doctors at the block hospital, I have to take him to Contai subdivisional hospital,” Laya said. “Jana had been prescribing medicines but sometimes, they did not work.”