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Crores spent on building but no funds for X-ray, ECG

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 2/6/2020 10:45:24 AM

Chittergul hospital

ANANTNAG, Feb 5: In 2017 when the primary health center (PHC) Chittergul, the remote area of Anantnag district was shifted from two roomed rented accommodation to the new huge building block, people of the area had hoped improvement in healthcare.
However, three years later, only the location of the hospital seems to have changed. A visit to the healthcare facility clearly reveals the messy state of affairs there. Though the hospital caters to the population of around twenty villages but only two doctors are posted at the facility with one of them having bachelor's in Unani system of medicines. These two doctors, according to locals come to the hospital on their own will as they perform duty in shifts.
"People of the area were expecting best healthcare after the shifting of the hospital from small rented accommodation to new building block constructed at the cost of crores of rupees. But nothing of the sort happened. It was just the change of location," said a local Panchayat member, Noor Hassan.
The hospital, according to locals, is virtually run by few Para-medics. "You go inside and see a pharmacist is examining the patients and prescribing medicines," a medicate who is running a shop outside the hospital told this reporter.
Kashmir Times is in possession of a picture in which two Para-medics are seen handling patients in OPD with one issuing tickets and the other examining the patients.
The hospital does not even the X-ray and ECG facilities forcing the patients to visit SDH Shangas or private diagnostic centers.
"The area is dominated by the poor Gujjar population. These poor people have lost the faith in the facility as they know if doctor here suggests them X-ray or any other test they will have to again rush to Shangas or Anantnag," said a local, Mushtaq Ahmad.
Ahmad rued the callousness of health authorities of depriving the poor people of health care facilities.
"Most of the people here are dailywage laborers. But the non-availability of proper healthcare in the area forces them to travel to Shangas or Anantnag to seek the treatment. The hospital here should have all the facilities available and functioning round the clock," Ahmad said.
The women of the area, locals said, are the worst sufferers of the poor health care in the hospital.
"In the absence of a gynecologist expecting women of the area have to face the trouble of travelling a long distance during the period of pregnancy to get examined by gynecologists in Anantnag. Since the shifting of the hospital we have been demanding lady doctor for the hospital but nothing happened," said another local, Bashir Ahmad adding 'This is a joke in the name of healthcare'.
What is worse is that the hospital ambulance is without driver. "If there is any emergency case brought to the hospital he has to hire a private vehicle after being referred. The hospital ambulance is rusting for want of driver," Ahmad added.
Chief medical officer, Anantnag, Dr Mukhtar interestingly has no idea about the facilities in the hospital on the construction of which government spent crores of rupees.
"I have no idea about it. I will check it out from the officials concerned," CMO said.