TEESTA PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE IN PATHETIC CONDITION

KALIMPONG.MUKESH SHARMA: LOCATED IN BETWEEN KALIMPONG AND DARJEELING TEESTA BAZAAR IS A SMALL AREA WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA RELY ON THE RIVER RAFTING AND TOURIST. A PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE COVER THE WHOLE POPULATION IN ADDITION WITH THE RURAL AREAS OF TALKING SOREANG, MANGMAYA, PESHOK AND TAKDAH ETC. INAUGURATED BY THE THEN CHAIRMAN OF D.G.H.C SUBHASH GHISING THE CONDITION OF THE HEALTH CENTRE
IS THE SAME AS OF GHISING IN THE HILLS. THE BUILDING IS IN SUCH A WORSE CONDITION THAT EVEN A HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN ITS COLLAPSE. LOCAL PEOPLE SAY THAT ABOUT 6 INCHES OF WATER LOGGING IS WITNESSED DURING THE MONSOON AS THE ROOFS OF THE HEALTH CENTRE LEAKS HEAVILY. THE CENTRE HAS NO BLOOD TESTING NEITHER CENTRE NOR X-RAY FACILITIES. IT HAS NO AMBULANCE AND EVEN THE CONDITION OF THE STRETCHER IS SAME AS THE HEALTH CENTRE. THE CENTRE HAS FULL STRENGTH OF STAFFS, A DOCTOR BUT THE MEDICAL OFFICER IS ABSENT FROM DECEMBER LAST YEAR. THE CONDITION OF THE TOILET, STAFFS QUATERS ROADLINKING TO THE CENTRE IS ALSO NOT IN A GOOD SHAPE. A 10 BEDED CENTRE WAS BUILD BY THE HELP OF GERMAN PROJECT NEARBY THE CENTRE WHERE ONLY NORMAL DELIVERY CASES OF WOMEN ARE HANDLED. A SERIOUS CASE RESULTS IN REFERRING TO KALIMPONG SUB DIVISIONAL HOSPITAL WHICH OFTEN IS OUT OF REACH FOR THE POOR PEOPLE. NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION HAS PROVIDED GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE RURAL HEALTH CENTRE BUT THIS CENTRE LACKS EVERYTHING TO BE CALLED A HEALTH CENTRE. DREAMING TO MAKE DARJEELING SWIZERLAND WEST BENGAL C.M SHOULD LAY STRESS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SO CALLED HEALTH CENTRE WHERE A HUGE CHUNK OF MASSES TOTALLY DEPEND.