Residents of Bazaricherra and its nearby villages in south Assam’s Karimganj district have demanded appointment of adequate staff at the Bazaricherra subsidiary health centre, being run by a sole doctor for the past one-and-a-half months.

The health centre falls under the Patharkandi Assembly constituency, around 105km from here.

Around 50,000 people of a number of gaon panchayats, including Bazaricherra, Dengarbond, Jherjheri, Hatikhira, Balipipla and Nagra, are dependent on the health centre.

Locals said the health centre was being run well by Dr Debojit Deka, who was transferred around one-and-a-half months ago.

The centre is being run by a female doctor. “The lack of adequate staff causes immense trouble for us,” a villager said.

They sought Patharkandi legislator Krishnendu Paul’s intervention and demanded the matter be treated on a priority basis.

Members of Netaji Sangha and Sunny Sports Club rued that the health centre’s abysmal condition caused a lot of problems for the local residents, especially for those belonging to economically weaker sections of society. They stressed that the authorities must initiate prompt measures to ensure adequate staff at the health centre and improve its overall infrastructure.

A source said Lowairpua zilla parishad member Saheli Dey submitted a memorandum on Friday to the Karimganj joint director of health services and district programme manager, National Health Mission, seeking fulfilment of a number of demands, including appointment of a senior doctor, auxiliary nursing midwives and a sweeper at the health centre besides an ambulance.

The officials assured that a doctor would be appointed by this week, the source added.

Paul on Wednesday said he had suggested the joint director of health services that without appointing a new physician, Dr Deka should not be transferred.

He blamed the department’s “slapdash attitude” for the stuff crunch and poor infrastructure at the health centre.

Paul, however, hoped the issue would be solved soon. He said he would approach health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over the issue.