This is an archive article published on May 15, 2021

Gujarat: In Jamnagar, Dhanani spots locked PHC, says people dying in villages

On the second day of his Saurasthra-Kutch tour, Dhanani visited villages of Morbi, Rajkot and Jamnagar districts.

Paresh Dhanani and other Congress leaders outside the PHC at Latipur village in Jamnagar on Friday. (Express)

4 min readRajkotMay 15, 2021 02:37 AM IST First published on: May 15, 2021 at 02:37 AM IST

Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani on Friday found a primary health centre (PHC) at Latipur village in Jamnagar district locked, and said that people are dying in villages in dozens without getting medical treatment and Maru Gam, Corona Mukta Gaam campaign of the state government “sounds hollow”.

On the second day of his Saurasthra-Kutch tour, Dhanani visited villages of Morbi, Rajkot and Jamnagar districts. On his way to Jamnagar from Morbi, Dhanani halted at Laitpur village in Dhrol taluka of Jamnagar and visited the PHC there. However, the PHC was locked when the Congress leader, accompanied by Tankara MLA Lalit Kagathara, visited it at around 3:15 pm.

“Leaders of Latipur told me that 130 people have died due to Covid-19 in the village over the past one-and-a-half month. One the one hand, the government is beating drums about Maru Gam Corona Mukta Gam and on the other hand, PHCs are locked and dozens of people are dying in every village…,” Dhanani told The Indian Express after his visit to the village.

Dhanani also claimed that Maru Gam, Corona Mukta Gam campaign launched by the government early this month was misdirected. “The government is placing costs and mattresses and cots in schools and other buildings and passing them off as facilities for Covid-19 treatment. But people already have beds and mattresses in their homes also. What they need is beds with oxygen support, doctors to treat them and medicines to cure them,” Dhanani further said.

Vipin Garg, district development officer (DDO) of Jamnagar, said he had sought a report from the chief district health officer (CDHO) Dr Viren Manvar over the PHC being found locked. “It was a public holiday on occasion of Eid but due to the pandemic, all PHCs have been directed to remain open on all days of week. The PHCs are supposed to remain open till 2 pm and the Congress leaders visited it at around 3 pm. However, we have sought a report from the CDHO, who (in turn) has issued a notice to the MO. in this regard, “ Garg said.

The DDO added that the medical officer (MO) of the PHC was in the village itself and also denied Dhanani’s claim of 130 people having died due to Covid-19. “In preliminary inquiry, the MO has said that she was there till 2 pm and that after that she went for lunch. And then she for field as part of a programme to explain to patients that they should shift to Covid care centres… As far as number of deaths are concerned, 14 people who tested positive for Covid-19 died, including those having comorbidities, since the beginning of the pandemic last year. The village has recorded 60 deaths between January and May this year. Therefore the claim of 130 deaths is not true,” said Garg.

Jamnagar CDHO Dr Manvar said that a staff nurse lives in quarters near the PHC building and that she was in her quarters for lunch when Congress leaders visited. “The main gate of the PHC was locked for security reasons but there is another door which was open at that time and residents of Latipur know about this second door,” he said.

Dhanani and Kagathara also visited Thoriyali village in neighbouring Padadhari taluka of Rajkot district and said that 35 people have died over the past 45 days. However, Rajkot DDO Anil Ranavasiya said that he was not aware about it and that he would get it verified.