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Sanctioned in 2012, SDH Pahalgam nowhere in sight

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 2/21/2019 11:12:22 AM

ANANTNAG, Feb 20: People of over two dozen villages of Pahalgam, a famous tourist spot in southern Anantnag district continue to remain inaccessible to the proper healthcare facilities as the authorities have failed to identify the land for the sub-district hospital sanctioned to the area seven years ago.
Though the health authorities maintain that they are awaiting permission for the construction of the hospital building from the high court, locals, however, blame them for not pleading the case seriously.
Medical dispensary at the tourist spot had been established by Maharaja Hari Singh. In 2012 the then union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad sanctioned upgradation of the hospital as sub-district hospital (SDH) and also released funds for the same.
However, more than seven years have elapsed authorities are yet to identify the land for the same.
"During the period of the high court ban many developmental projects including Sewage treatment plant, Pahalgam Club, garbage treatment plant and many other government buildings came up at the tourist spot. It is actually the incompetence and non-seriousness of health authorities that the construction of SDH here is in limbo," said local activist, Mushtaq Pahalgami.
The people of Pahalgam and over a dozen of neighboring villages are forced to cover 20 to 30 kms distance to reach SDH Sallar or district hospital Anantnag for treatment as the existing healthcare facility at the tourist spot is in a complete mess. Two doctors, locals say, posted at the facility discharge their duty in shifts along with few Para-medics.
"The facilities at the hospital despite being located at the Tehsil headquarter and world famous tourist spot are no better than that of a remote sub-center," Pahalgami said.
The only season locals get the treatment from the healthcare facility is the annual Amarnath Yatra season authorities depute so many doctors and Para-medics to the hospital for Yatris.
"If for authorities, Yatris are important, I wonder why locals are being denied access to the better healthcare. Had health officials have taken the matter serious the building for the SDH would have been constructed long ago. Local politicians also played politics over the construction of the hospital building," said another resident Zubair Ahmad.
Authorities, he said, since the day one of upgradation of the hospital have been fooling the locals.
Chief medical officer (CMO), Anantnag Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said they are awaiting the permission from high court.
"There is ban on constructions in green belt in Pahalgam and we have to seek permission from the high court for construction of the hospital building. Since I joined I have many a time taken up the issue with the authorities," CMO said.
However, an official of the health department seconded locals saying 'It is only the failure of health authorities that hospital has not come up at Pahalgam.
"Health department neither took up the matter with PDA seriously nor pleaded the case properly in the high court. Health is an emergency service and high court would have issued the permission on priority had the health officials pleaded the case with seriousness," the official said.