Poor State of Healthcare at CHC; Generator Missing, Patients Suffer the Sting of 'Digital X-ray' in the Dark
GOPALPUR (Bhagalpur/Naugachia): Amidst all the government claims about strengthening healthcare services, the reality at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Gopalpur, Naugachia, is truly shocking. For the past several months, the hospital has become a major challenge for patients due to erratic power supply and the unavailability of a generator. The most serious issue at the hospital concerns its 'Digital X-ray' department. Because there is no generator, the X-ray machines shut down the moment the power goes out, forcing dozens of patients to turn to private centers for their diagnostics.
Patients' Compulsion: Reliance on 'Private' Care at a Government Hospital
A recent incident has exposed this mismanagement. A woman from the Gopalpur area, who had sustained severe injuries, was rushed to the CHC by her family members. The doctors immediately advised an X-ray to determine the condition of her bones. However, when the patient reached the X-ray room, there was no electricity.
When the family members urged the hospital staff to start the generator, the response they received highlighted the callousness of the hospital administration. The staff stated that the 'generator has been broken for several months' or that 'there is no fuel arrangement for it.' Ultimately, the injured woman, groaning in pain, had to leave the hospital and go to an expensive private X-ray center. This is not an isolated case; it is the same story for every second or third patient who visits.
'Darkness' Guards the Digital Machine
The digital X-ray machine installed at the Gopalpur CHC is a piece of modern technology, but the basic infrastructure required to operate it is missing.
Power Crisis: Being a rural area, the power supply here is often interrupted.
Lack of Generator: The health department, which spends millions purchasing machines, has been indifferent toward providing a power backup (generator), leaving these machines as nothing more than 'show-pieces.'
Wasted Time: Patients stand in lines for hours just to see a doctor, then wait even longer for an X-ray, and in the end, when they find out the machine isn't working, they suffer both mentally and financially.
Economic Burden: A Double Blow to Poor Patients
Most of the patients coming to the CHC are poor farmers or laborers. The very purpose of a government hospital is to provide health services to the poor at a low cost. However, when they are sent to private centers for X-rays, they have to pay three to four times the price. This is a massive economic burden on families already struggling due to illness.
Public Outrage Over Administrative Indifference
There is massive outrage among local residents and intellectuals regarding this matter. Villagers say that senior health department officials come every month in the name of inspection, but no one pays attention to basic amenities.
Question Marks: Does a Community Health Centre not have the capacity to arrange for a single generator?
Lack of Accountability: Despite repeated complaints, the local hospital management has not taken any concrete steps.
What Do Experts Say?
Medical experts believe that in cases of fractures or severe injuries, wandering from place to place can worsen a patient's condition. In such a scenario, having all facilities within the hospital premises is mandatory. If patients are being sent outside for digital X-rays, it is clearly a failure of healthcare services.
The Path Ahead: When Will the System Improve?
The Chief Medical Officer of Naugachia and district-level health department officials need to intervene immediately. A hospital does not become 'digital' just by installing digital machines; ensuring constant power and backup is mandatory.
Residents of the area are now demanding that the generator be repaired immediately or that an alternative power source (such as an inverter or solar backup) be arranged so that patients do not have to struggle from pillar to post.
The sorry state of CHC Gopalpur reflects the dark reality of a healthcare system where technology exists, but the basic utility to make it functional is missing. It remains to be seen whether the department will wake up after this incident or if poor patients will continue to be forced to frequent private centers.
