THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, July 9: Palamu got a new civil surgeon in Dr Anil Kumar Sriwastaw who took charge from the outgoing one Dr Anil Kumar.
The make-over-takeover was simple as the outgoing one and the new incumbent wished each other good luck. District epidemiologist Dr Anup Kumar Singh was present along with a fleet of officials.
It’s very rare when ‘Anils’ represented Palamu as civil surgeon for short and long tenure both. Dr Anil Kumar the outgone one had two innings here as civil surgeon.
Similarly, Dr Anil Kumar Sriwastaw is now in his second stint, as his first stint was of less than 60 days when he was replaced by Dr Anil Kumar, and today Wednesday, Sriwastaw replaced Dr Anil Kumar!
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Patient-Centric Reforms and Action Against Quackery
At his maiden press briefing shortly after taking over the charge of the civil surgeon, Dr Sriwastaw presented his road map where he said, “Our services will be patient friendly, where our staff is expected to be disciplined. Our CHCs are the nearest medicare centre. There are enough potentialities in our Ayushman Arogya Mandir. These potentialities are to be explored.”
Dr Sriwastaw sounded tough when he said, “All such unregistered and unauthorised clinics and different types of quackery will be discouraged.”
The new civil surgeon spoke about forming a multi colour team, having in it medical practitioners, civil society activists, media persons, operators of the private hospitals etc, to ensure better and effective management of the complaints.”
Dr Sriwastaw said, “I am not the one who will cry for what is not. I am the one who will try to make the best use of the available sources.”
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Focus on Malnutrition, Drug Addiction, and TB Control
“Malnutrition, anaemia and drug addiction will be fought medically. There will be a sustained campaign for tiding over the problems of malnutrition, anaemia, drug addiction and alcoholism,” he said. He spoke about cataract elimination too.
Previously, there were 12 designated microscope centres for detection of TB, which is now 28 and out of 28, True Nat is available at 14 centres, Dr Sriwastaw reminded. He admitted that X-ray facility is wanted.
Pulling a surprise, the new civil surgeon said, “It’s time to make over the image of the health services here. It does not pay if only holes are pointed out.”
As for free food baskets for TB patients, he said, “We need public benevolence for 2900 active TB patients, but right now only 317 have access to free baskets.”
There are more than 100 banks here in Palamu district, but none of the banks have come forward to aid TB patients nutritionally, rued the civil surgeon.
“I have written to the banks urging them to help TB patients through the CSR, but the banks are buying time”, lamented the new civil surgeon, Dr Sriwastaw.
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TB-Free Panchayats and Drug Quality Concerns
“Our drive against the TB is on. Out of 265 panchayats, we have been successful in 40 panchayats, getting all TB-free. This tempo about these 40 TB free panchayats is to be maintained for three years,” explained Dr Sriwastaw.
To a question that there has been a case of multi-crore medicine purchase found ‘of not standard quality’, to which the new civil surgeon honestly said, “Our immediate predecessor was the one who had directed the drug inspector here to go for a lab test for the medicine in question. It was the outgone civil surgeon who had in fact taken the lid off the ‘not of standard quality medicines’.”
Sources said it was for months that one was hearing about a change of guard, but in between, it was also heard that there would be no change of guard. However, Tuesday evening rocked everyone when the notification of the shuffling came.
