The primary health centre (PHC) at Doranda, which has been asked to offer maternity care after closure of maternity wings of Sadar hospital and Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), is crying for attention.

An insider at the primary health centre said it lacked proper arrangement to take care of women who needed immediate maternity care.

“The primary health centre does not have adequate medical and paramedical staff. It has only three A-grade nurses, nine ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwife) and five doctors, including an in-charge of PHC, who also has a number of administrative work to look after. The PHC has been provided only 50 personal protective equipment (PPE) and 50 masks. The place, which is equipped to handle only 4-5 surgeries per month, has been asked to tackle the load of the entire city,” the insider, who did not want to be quoted, said.

He said since Monday, as many as 10 deliveries had taken place at the health centre.

“If the number of patients increases, we have no idea how we will handle so many cases with such limited resources. Though staff from other community health centres and Sadar hospital have been deputed here, but they are reluctant to work,” the insider added.

A pregnant woman, who had turned up at the hospital from Kanke on Wednesday, supported the insider.

“Nursing homes won’t admit you if you do not have very close contacts. At the primary health centre, which is open for all, Covid-19 test report is a prerequisite for admission. Yesterday (Tuesday), I had to go back because I could not find anyone to collect my samples. Even today, the sample-collection work is too slow. It takes 15-20 minutes to collect the swabs of one woman,” the woman, who was waiting for her turn, said.

District civil surgeon Dr Vijay Bihari Prasad said the problems were are sorted out gradually.

“There was a problem at the beginning. Today, I have not received any complaints, after we took measures to increase the number of staff. As many as 10 doctors have been deputed at the health centre from outside to ensure proper care. I have clearly told the staff that Covid-19 test is needed, but a patient cannot be left suffering for want of the test report,” Prasad said.

THAT SINKING FEELING: A man on a scooter negotiates his way through a flooded stretch near Raj Bhavan in Ranchi after heavy rain on Wednesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra