Hans news service Marriguda (Nalgonda)

A controversy has emerged in Marriguda regarding the functioning of medical services. While the hospital has been upgraded to a Community Health Centre (CHC) and continues to provide services under that category, questions are being raised over it receiving a ‘Best UPHC’ state award. The issue has sparked widespread debate among locals and healthcare circles.

Criticism is mounting against higher authorities for allegedly granting the award without proper verification. Locals fear that such decisions could damage the credibility of government systems. Residents are now demanding a thorough inquiry into the selection process and strict action against those responsible for misleading authorities.

It is reported that the issue arose primarily due to failure in updating online data after the hospital’s upgrade in 2023. The award appears to have been granted based on outdated records. Only after the announcement did staff update the online system, revealing the discrepancy. Interestingly, from April 9 onwards, UPHC services have reportedly begun to be re-entered in the old building records.

The UPHC (Urban Primary Health Centre) at the mandal headquarters was upgraded to a CHC in 2023 during the previous BRS government. The then Finance and Health Minister, Harish Rao, inaugurated the new building and officially elevated the facility to CHC status. Following the upgrade, specialist doctors and staff from various hospitals in the district were deployed there. Since then, services under the UPHC in the old building have completely ceased, with all operations shifting to the CHC.

However, despite the discontinuation of UPHC services on the ground, outpatient (OP) services continued to berecorded online under the UPHC category. Meanwhile, CHC services, though actively functioning, were not properly reflected in the online system. Due to this discrepancy, Marriguda was selected for the ‘Best UPHC’ award at the state level under a government performance programme.

This has led to confusion and criticism, as the award was given to a facility where services had effectively stopped. Locals and healthcare professionals are questioning whether this was due to a lapse in supervision by officials or a failure to update records in a timely manner. There are also doubts about whether district medical officers were aware of the situation despite multiple inspections.

Despite the pride associated with receiving a state award, the controversy has left both the public and hospital staff disappointed.