A division bench comprising Chief Justice L. Narayana Swamy and Justice Anoop Chitkara passed these orders on a writ petition filed by Davinder Sharma and Vinay Sharma, saying the PHC in Ghanahatti in Shimla district is functioning since 1988.

There is one sanctioned post of a doctor, one post of staff nurse, one post of X-ray technician, one post of eye refractionist, one post of pharmacist, among other posts, in the PHC.

They said keeping in view the increase in the number of patients in the village having a population of about 12,000, a new building for the PHC was sanctioned and has been constructed, but till date, the PHC has not started operating from the new building.

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The doctor from the PHC was transferred in March and since then no regular doctor has been appointed.

They said in the absence of a doctor, the PHC is being manned by a pharmacist.

The doctor who has been assigned the additional charge of this PHC visits only for three days in a week and that too for limited hours of the day.

They said one dentist also visits the PHC who has been asked to give medicines to the patients.

The petitioners prayed to direct the state to immediately appoint a regular doctor, a dentist, and paramedical staff at the PHC and to start its functioning from the new building which has a capacity of 10 beds.

Earlier, the court had directed the state to file details regarding the staff strength in each PHC in the state.

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