Less than 20 days since the first of the three buildings came crashing down in the city, it looks like that the Varthur Primary Health Centre (PHC) building might soon meet the same fate. Reason: The dilapidated building, which seems to have worsened due to the incessant rainfall that has been battering the city since the past few days.

After several patients and staffers experienced electric shock by touching the walls of the PHC, the patients are now being treated outside the building. The staff are using wooden logs inside the building to hold the structure from collapsing. They have also disconnected the electricity to ensure no one else gets shocks again.

Vasudev P, a resident of Varthur and former panchayat member, said that he visited the PHC on Wednesday when the OPD of the hospital was shifted outside and the patients were being treated out in the open. He said, “When I entered to take a stock of the situation, I saw several wooden logs being kept to hold the ceiling from collapsing. They have kept bricks under the wooden logs to support the ceiling. Water was leaking from the ceiling and there was mold everywhere. I touched the wall and got an electric shock. I was really scared by looking at the state of the PHC and immediately came out to speak to the staff. The surgery table was shifted outside. All the staffers sitting there told me that they were feeling helpless about the whole situation. They told me that the wiring had loosened up, which resulted in people experiencing the shock. We immediately disconnected the electricity and told them to raise the issue with higher authorities.”

Jagadish Reddy from Varthur Rising said that he had injured his leg on Thursday and decided to go to the PHC to get it checked. To his shock, the building was in a worse condition. He said, “The building is very old and the incessant rainfall might have worsened the situation. I had raised this issue several times but the concerned officials had not looked into it. Even in this worse condition, the PHC is still running and it is risking not only the lives of the staff but also the patients who are visiting the hospital for treatment. It is the only PHC in Varthur and a lot of people are dependent on it.”

He said that the maternity hospital which is on the other side of the PHC building is in good condition, but however, this hospital which is also treating covid patients would collapse. “They have set up a small shed next to the PHC where they are conducting the vaccination camp and the staffers are also scared to step inside,”

he said.

The dilapidated exterior

M Venkat Reddy (52), a resident, said that around 100-200 people visit the PHC daily as majority of the locals cannot afford to visit private hospitals. He said, “There are many labourers and many farmers in and around the village who have no option than visiting the PHC, risking their lives. I had gone to the PHC a few days ago to get my family vaccinated, when I saw the bad condition of the building. In our village alone, we are 20,000 people and we have many labourers residing in the fringes who are completely dependent on the PHC. All of us depend on this hospital for covid treatment. This has to be immediately rebuilt.”

Though the PHC officials had written to the officials concerned last month, highlighting the issue, the repair work has not started and the situation deteriorated after the continuous heavy rainfall in the past few days.

BBMP Special Commissioner (Health & IT), Randeep D said that the Varthur PHC and Maternity Center is under the State Health department and has not been handed over to the BBMP yet. “We have asked the officials to check the building status, and if it cannot withstand, we will relocate the patients to the nearby BBMP PHCs or find a government building which can be converted to a PHC,” he said.

An official from the Health Department told BM that the PHC is currently being taken care of by the BBMP and the officials are looking into the issue.