A facility once meant to serve the ailing has now become a shelter for livestock. The Mohanpur Sub-Health Center in Mograhat East in Kolkata’s adjoining South 24 Parganas district, has plunged into appalling neglect, practically transformed into a cowshed, where ducks, chickens, goats and cows roam freely in what was once a space for patients. The dilapidated state of the centre has sparked outrage among locals and drawn severe criticism from the opposition.
Constructed in 1995 by former Health Minister Prashant Sur of the Left Front government on seven bighas of land generously donated by a local resident, the health center now lies in shambles. The facility, now overrun by weeds, is now a symbol of rural healthcare’s sorry state.
Where hospital beds once stood, animals now graze. Locals have illegally occupied quarters meant for medical staff. Chickens are being raised inside abandoned housing, while poultry transport vehicles are often seen parked at the entrance. The Operating Theatre, once meant to assist pregnant mothers, now echoes with the flapping of wings and remains haunted by disrepair.
As evening descends, the hospital grounds turn into a den of anti-social elements. A section of locals gather to consume liquor taking advantage of absence of proper lighting.
With no doctors or pharmacists reporting for duty, the only functional lifeline for the villagers is a lone nurse who attends to patients in the only room that still has a desk, chair and a small stockpile of medicines. She plays the role of a sole medical hope for the entire area, despite the looming risks of poisonous snakes that emerge from the surrounding bushes during rainy seasons.
Local residents have raised repeated complaints, alleging that neither the doctor nor the pharmacist makes an appearance, leaving the nurse to manage all patient care alone during morning hours.
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Responding to the mounting criticism, Jayant Shukul, Chief Health Officer of the Diamond Harbour Health District, acknowledged the dire situation. "I have sent a letter to the health department regarding the appalling condition of the Mohanpur Sub-Health Center. Renovation work will commence soon. A 30-bed upgrade is planned, and strict action will be taken against those raising cattle and poultry in the facility," he assured.
He added that the administration is committed to restoring proper healthcare services and ensuring that locals receive the medical attention they deserve.
In 2011, TMC leader and South 24 Parganas district president Shamima Sheikh unveiled a plaque announcing an upgrade to a 10-bed facility. Today, that very plaque lies forgotten, covered in grass and symbolic of the promises that never materialised.
The opposition BJP has taken sharp aim at the ruling TMC. Sufal Ghatu, Vice-President of Bharatiya Janata Party's Diamond Harbour organisational district, said, “This is Trinamool’s model of development. If the ruling party, the panchayat, and the health department wanted, they could clear the encroachment in five minutes. But they won’t— because extortion and corruption are flourishing behind this so-called development.”
Trinamool's local panchayat president, however, claimed that the matter has been reported to the Health Minister and assured that the issue would be resolved soon.
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