Imphal, May 19 2010: With no medical staff and equipments that are expected of in a health centre, the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Tengnoupal sub-divisional headquarters in Chandel district has been converted into a godown for storing charcoal bags.

Located just around 10 kms to the north of National Highway 39, the PHC was constructed in 1967 with the stated objective of providing health care to the people.

But today, the signboard put up on its tin-roofed wooden structure is the only reminder to the people that it was once a health care centre.

With tell tale signs of long years of lack of maintenance by the authorities concerned, the very look of its dilapidated building is enough to understand without the prompting of the surrounding villagers that the health centre has not been functioning for the last many years.

The wooden walls of the building that has been constructed with RCC flooring have been gnawed away by termites, with holes all over and the doors and windows of the building are as good as missing.

It is because of the present condition of the building that the PHC has conveniently converted into a godown for storing charcoal bags that are to be taken to different parts of the State.

On a spot survey, The Sangai Express witnessed that all the four rooms of the PHC have been filled with charcoal bags.

As the PHC has remained defunct all these years, the surrounding villagers go to the nearby camp of the 29 Assam Rifles to consult doctors in sickness.

However, if the cases are seriously, they come down to Imphal for treatment.

According to the villagers, since the inauguration of the PHC building, no doctors have been posted and they have never received any health care benefits.

On top of this, there are no required medical equipments in the health centre.

In this regard, the villagers have also reportedly submitted numerous memorandum to the authorities concerned in the past but to no avail.

Interacting with The Sangai Express in this connection, president of Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Tengnoupal Block Thangboi Lhungdim blamed the SDO/BDO concerned of the sub-division for the present sorry state of the PHC.

The office building of the SDO/BDO which was inaugurated by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh in 2007 has not been made functional till today and the SDO/BDO concerned hardly comes to his office to look after the developmental needs of the sub-division, he informed, while drawing the attention of the authorities concerned for taking up necessary action against the delinquent officer and his staff.

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