Secunderabad Cantonment board battles poor healthcare infrastructure amid coronavirus outbreak

SECUNDERABAD: Poor health infrastructure in the Secunderabad Cantonment is proving a deterrent in the fight against Covid-19, medical officials have alleged.
“The situation is really pathetic here. They don’t even have basic facilities. The major problem we face on a regular basis is transport. We don’t have a vehicle to conduct a house-to-house survey. Whenever there is a new positive case, we have to rush and screen the entire area.For that, we have to request the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) officials for a vehicle ,” said a medical officer.
The official said that he was shocked to see the poor condition of the buildings being used for medical services. “Many of the buildings allotted for medical purposes are in dilapidated condition. For the past one year, we have been urging the SCB to provide proper buildings for hospitals. The district medical and health department (DM&HD) has been requesting to SCB to provide basic infrastructure,” the official added.
Three medical officers, deputed by DM&HD, are working at three urban primary health centres in the Cantonment area to tackle Covid-19. They have been forced to use the SCB’s dispensaries as the health centres are in bad shape. “There is a severe shortage of staff and medical equipment in the cantonment. Though the Centre has launched several health schemes, none of them are being implemented here due to scant medical facilities. SCB dispensaries can handle only outpatients. In case of any major medical emergency the locals have to rush to Gandhi Hospital or a private facility,” said a senior DM&HO official.
An SCB health wing official said that they are looking for suitable buildings for medical facilities.