Shopian, Nov 24: the community health centre (CHC), Zainapora, catering to dozens of villages in the area is without an ambulance, causing huge inconvenience to the patients.
 Sources in the health centre said that it was also lacking specialist medical staff and basic facilities.
 They said that since the old ambulance of the centre was condemned six months back, the authorities had failed to get new one. “Recently, the doctors were forced to get an ambulance from a primary health center to shift a woman, who had suffered a mild stroke, to Srinagar hospital,” sources said.
 Despite being a 30 bedded hospital and catering to the huge population, the CHC is short of specialist medical staff. “The centre is without specialist pediatrician and gynecologist,” sources said. They said these doctors had been attached allegedly according to their preference at some other places though they continue to draw salary from CHC, Zainapora.
 “An ISM doctor is managing the gynecology department here,” sources added.
 The CHC, sources said was also without proper infrastructure and the though the construction of the new building was taken up way back in the year 2002, it was still incomplete.
 Aghast over the lack of facilities, ambulance and the shortage of specialist in the CHC, the people in Zainapora and adjoining villages on Wednesday held a demonstration against the authorities and blocked the road for several hours.
 “On one hand the government makes huge claims of providing basic medicare to the rural populace, but the fact remains that we are still craving for ambulances and specialist doctors,” said the angry protesters, adding that they had to ferry critically ill patients in private cars and Sumos after they are referred to Srinagar hospitals.
 When contacted, chief medical officer (CMO), Shopian, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Hakeem assured that the CHC would be provided an ambulance soon. However, about the shortage of specialist doctors, he expressed helplessness.
 “I have convened a meeting and the CHC will soon be provided a new ambulance,” said Dr Nazir.
 Regarding the shortage of specialist, he said that a pediatrician post was already sanctioned to the CHC, but he had to manage sub-district hospital, Shopian too for two days while there was no post of gynecologist available yet. 

Lastupdate on : Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 IST