Hyderabad: PHCs lack in diagnostics

Hyderabad: About 55 per cent patients complained about non-availability of doctors and 60 per cent were dissatisfied with the services at urban primary health centres, according to a survey.

The World Health Organisation calls PHC the ‘central nervous system’ of a country’s health services.

City-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation surveyed 25 UPHCs in the GHMC area, interviewing 850 patients between September and November last. The study revealed that 65 per cent came to urban OPHCs for common ailments like fever, cold, cough and body pains, 25 for vaccination, pregnancy and family planning and 2 per cent for chronic disorders like diabetes, hypertension and thyroid. The others sought treatment for stomach disorders, joint pains and skin problems.

The study said 75 per cent of the patients availed of free medicines from the UPHCs and 20 per cent free obstetrics and gynaecology consultation. The study noted that the outpatient flow for OBG was significantly higher on Wednesdays and Fridays. Only 5 per cent patients availed of diagnostics and lab services which was an indication of inadequacy of these services at the centres and the acute need to ramp up diagnostic facilities. Significantly, 55 per cent of the patients claimed that doctors were not available most of the time, while nurses were present.

Five per cent of the patients complained they had to pay Rs 10 to Rs 50 under the table to the staff to get free medicines. About 60 per cent patients expressed dissatisfaction with medical services, largely on account of doctor unavailability and several said doctors did not spend enough time to counsel or clarify their doubts.

About 40 per cent patients claimed they were reasonably satisfied with the services and a majority of them were women who came for maternal health, vaccinations and family planning.

Foundation trustee Mujtaba Hasan Askari said that by conservative estimates 12,500 to 15,000 patients accessed UHPCs and a good PHC system would not only provide easy and free treatment for common ailments, but significantly reduce the burden on secondary and territory level care in state run hospitals.

According to an official report, UPHCs have about 350  employees against the requirement of 2,700. The civic body spends Rs 86 lakh annually on salaries and Rs 29 lakh on maintenance. 

Asked about the state of UPHCs, additional commissioner (health) Sikta Patnaik said the GHMC along with Hyderabad collectorate was in the process of recruiting about 800 staff under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). All UPHCs in the city would be equipped with trained staff and medicines.