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| Patients forced to visit hospitals in twin capitals | | Rural JK lacks health infrastructure | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Jan 19: Lack of health infrastructure in rural areas is forcing people to visit Jammu and Srinagar hospitals, where patients are not being treated properly due to huge rush.
One such prominent incident took place on Friday when a woman from remote Mooree area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir was forced to deliver on the road after doctors at Srinagar's Lal Ded Hospital - the largest government maternity hospital in the Valley - did not allow her to stay in the hospital overnight and refused to admit her.
This has become a routine for the patients to visit the Srinagar and Jammu hospital even for minor ailments. "The rural hospitals lack basic infrastructure and patients are forced to go Jammu and Srinagar hospitals," an official of Health Department said.
The official said that state has deficiency of over 1,500 health institutions based on catchment area, population coverage and existing health care institutes across the J&K.
At the same time, the government has failed to complete at least 20 health projects that could have upgraded the state's health infrastructure. The projects were to be completed by Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), and Roads and Buildings Department.
An official of the Health Department said that work on these projects was started 8 to 10 years ago. "The construction agencies are showing no concern in completion of the projects. Multiple deadlines have been missed in completion of these projects," the official said.
The work on district hospital Bandipora was started in 2006. Despite passing 11 years, the building has not been completed. Similarly, the construction work on sub-district hospitals of Rajpora Pulwama, Pakherpora Budgam, Kralpora Kupwara , Kremshore Budgam, Kulgam, IPD block district hospital Pulwama have not been completed over the years.
Work on sub-district hospital Rajouri was started in 2005 and has not been completed so far. There are several such projects on which construction work is going for a long time.
"Work on several projects is going for the last over a decade despite that they are yet to get completed," the official said.
The official said that government was not bothered in completion of these projects despite the state lacks health infrastructure. "There is requirement of 60 more community health centres, over 200 primary health centres and several hundred sub-centres in the state," the official said.
The lack of health centres in rural areas is forcing people to go to cities for the treatment as Jammu and Kashmir lacks over 1500 health centres.
Sources within the health department said that the state lacks the health centres. "There will remain a huge rush in Srinagar and Jammu hospitals unless health facilities are provided in rural areas," an official said.
The official said that JK government may ask the centre for financial assistance to improvise the health facilities. "The health sector has been least priority of the successive government. Now government is only eying that centre may provide the state some assistance," the official said.
"I was surprised that the state was conferred best health care services several times over the years," the official said.
Contradicting the claims of the government that the health sector would be its top priority, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has deficiency of over 1500 health care centres.
"The government is yet to establish these health care centres but the process is going on for their creation," the official said. |
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